Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend I.Khalilov / The Azerbaijani Government and the World Bank (WB) intend to consider opportunities for expanding the project on improvement of water and sewage systems of small cities with a total budget of $310mln.
ASPI, an Azerbaijani consulting company, said two regions - Ali Bayramli and Sumgait, will be added to the project approved at the Council of Directors of the World Bank on 14 June 2007, increasing their general number to 22. The bank allocated $230mln for the implementation of this project with the consideration of 20 regions selected initially.
Following the increase of construction work the cost of the project is expected to increase and it will be in focus during the next visit of the WB mission led by Andreas Rod to Baku at the end of December.
The project includes three components. Investment in the water supply infrastructure and sewage systems is envisaged in the first stage. The project will cover twenty regions of Azerbaijan including Agstafa, Bilasuvar, Geranboy, Gabala, Guba, Saatli, Oguz, Khanlar, Tovuz, Zakatala, Hajigabul, Kazakx, Gakh, Mingachevir, Sabirabad, Samukh, Shamkir, Tartar and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
There are plans to render technical assistance for the development of the general plan on development of the water supply system in Baku and Absheron Peninsula in the second stage.
The third component includes institutional modernization of the company Azersu by introducing international standards of financial accounting for improving the billing system.
Implementation of the project is expected to continue until 2012.