Ministry of International Cooperation Holds Workshop on EBRD Procurement Procedures 

In collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Ministry of International Cooperation held a workshop on the bank’s procurement procedures which will be used in the implementation of the Kitchener Drain Depollution project, in order for the involved ministries to be familiar with the bank’s policies and rules, and to know the mechanisms and methods of withdrawing from the funds allocated to the project to ensure that it is implemented according to the set plan.

This workshop comes within the framework of the project's technical committee, which was formed as per the decision issued by Rania A. Al- Mashat in September 2020, and within the recommendations of the second meeting of the committee held earlier this year in the month of March.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Local Development, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, members from the consultant teams involved in implementing the project in the two ministries, and a procurement expert at the EBRD.

During the workshop, EBRD’s procurement policies and rules were discussed; in regards to the bidding processes, the financial and technical offers, and the conditions and evaluation processes. The regulations are all done digitally through the bank’s website.

All inquiries and questions of the Ministry of Local Development, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the related consultants were also answered so as to ensure the ease of implementation of the project and to achieve the desired results.

By the end of the workshop, it was agreed to hold another session in the field of withdrawals to understand the mechanisms and methods of withdrawing from EBRD funds. The Ministry of International Cooperation is keen to coordinate between development partners and stakeholders to implement development projects, in order to ensure the achievement of the desired results and to mitigate the expected challenges.

The project financing amounts to €408 million, with development financing worth €213.9 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB), in addition to a grant from the European Union (EU) worth €25 million for the implementation of the first phase focusing on the collection and treatment of wastewater.

The EBRD provided a development financing worth € 79 million, in addition to a grant of €8 million for the second phase related to solid waste management; moreover, EBRD funded the third phase focusing on the depollution of the drain and its efficiency upgrade with €69 million euros and a grant of €12 million.

The Kitchener Drain is the largest wastewater treatment plant in Egypt. It was established in 1899 and is 69 kilometers long; it starts from the Gharbia governorate, crosses the Dakahlia governorate, and passes through several villages in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, serving more than 11 million people in 182 villages.

The project aims to raise the efficiency of the wastewater plant and improve water quality and the health and environmental status of the citizens living in the area.