Kerewan Area Council (KAC) on Tuesday 23rd February presented  the sum of D300, 000.00 to the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) as part of their efforts towards the settlement of water and electricity bill arrears owed to the Company in their locality. 

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held in Kerewan, the chairman of KAC, Alhaji Lamin Ceesay, underscored the need his council attaches to the welfare of taxpayers and providing clean and safe drinking water. He revealed that the payment is in line with an agreement with NAWEC towards the settlement of over D12 million in water and electricity bills. He assured of his council’s commitment to settling its arrears and expressed hope that the payment would help Nawec to improve on service delivery and enhance socio-economic development of the taxpayers. He also stressed the need for effective management system that would help to control water usage on public stand taps in all Nawec water source settlements.

The KAC chairman stated that Nawec's initiative of introducing community managed water supply system is a laudable one, as it would enable the people to better manage and be responsible for their own water bills and by extension avoid wastage of water. He explained that all water facility points in the region are wholly managed by the community and as a result, bills are paid on time, adding that the people have expressed gratitude to Nawec and KAC as water is always available throughout the day.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of KAC, Alhaji Tamba Kinteh, said his council attaches importance to the provision of basic social services notably access to clean and safe drinking water. He hailed the joint initiative of Nawec and KAC to put in place a community managed water system, as an alternative solution for his council to continue to settle their outstanding arrears with NAWEC. He added that his council wishes to ensure that water and electricity services are sustained in the region.

The KAC CEO disclosed that his council owed NAWEC over D13, 328, 140.96 as of November 2009 as accumulative arrears on water and electricity since the days of the First Republic. He further informed the gathering that an agreement has been reached between his council and the Company on the mode of payment of the arrears. He used the opportunity to commend His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh for his laudable achievements and numerous supports he gave to Nawec and for providing electricity to 10 communities under the rural electrification project in the Region.