THE MINISTER OF WATER DEVELOPMENT AND SANITATION, HONOURABLE COLLINS NZOVU, M.P

THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR THE MINISTRY OF WATER DEVELOPMENT AND SANITATION- ENG. ROMAS KAMANGA

REPRESENTATIVES OF COOPERATING PARTNERS IN THE WATER AND SANITATION SECTOR

SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT

NWASCO BOARD MEMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR COMMERCIAL UTILITIES

THE NWASCO DIRECTOR - ENG KELVIN CHITUMBO

MANAGING DIRECTORS FOR COMMERCIAL UTILITIES

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS FROM OTHER REGULATORY BODIES

DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS

MEMBERS OF THE PRESS

INVITED GUESTS

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE LAUNCH OF THE 2025 WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR REPORT.

TODAY’S EVENT IS NOT MERELY THE PRESENTATION OF A DOCUMENT, BUT A REFLECTION OF OUR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS, A MIRROR OF THE CHALLENGES WE MUST CONFRONT AND A ROADMAP GUIDING THE FUTURE OF ZAMBIA’S WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AS STAKEHOLDERS, TO TAKE STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE, APPRECIATE HOW FAR WE HAVE COME AND RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO THE WORK THAT STILL LIES AHEAD.

ALLOW ME, AT THIS JUNCTURE, TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION COUNCIL. ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 2000, NWASCO IS THE STATUTORY REGULATOR OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES IN ZAMBIA, MANDATED TO ENSURE EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE, AND EQUITABLE SERVICE DELIVERY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OVER THE PAST 26 YEARS, NWASCO HAS REMAINED STEADFAST IN PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE SECTOR. ONE OF THE KEY INSTRUMENTS THROUGH WHICH THIS MANDATE IS FULFILLED IS THE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR REPORT. TO DATE, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCED 25 CONSECUTIVE ANNUAL REPORTS, EACH SERVING AS A CRITICAL REFERENCE POINT FOR POLICY, PLANNING AND SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

THIS REPORT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL. IT PROVIDES A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHERE WE STAND AS A SECTOR, OFFERS EVIDENCE TO GUIDE POLICY AND INVESTMENT DECISIONS, ESTABLISHES BENCHMARKS FOR PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, AND REINFORCES ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITIZENS WE ARE ENTRUSTED TO SERVE. THE 2025 REPORT BUILDS ON THIS STRONG FOUNDATION AND CONTINUES OUR COMMITMENT TO DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING AND SECTOR-WIDE TRANSPARENCY.

INVITED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

THE REPORT IS BOTH COMPREHENSIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING. IT SPANS TEN CHAPTERS AND HIGHLIGHTS  NINE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT STRENGTHEN HOW WE ASSESS AND BENCHMARK THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL UTILITIES. IT PRESENTS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF SECTOR PERFORMANCE FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST DECEMBER 2025, COVERING ALL ELEVEN COMMERCIAL UTILITIES MANDATED TO PROVIDE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES. IT HIGHLIGHTS PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN URBAN AND RURAL SERVICE DELIVERY, EXAMINES ONSITE SANITATION AND FAECAL SLUDGE MANAGEMENT, AND OUTLINES THE REGULATORY ROLE OF NWASCO. IT FURTHER ADDRESSES CRITICAL ISSUES SUCH AS POLLUTION OF WATER SOURCES, EVALUATES PERFORMANCE AGAINST SERVICE LEVEL GUARANTEES, AND PROVIDES AN IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENT OF UTILITIES ACROSS OPERATIONAL, FINANCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE DIMENSIONS. IMPORTANTLY, IT SITUATES ZAMBIA WITHIN A REGIONAL CONTEXT BY COMPARING PERFORMANCE WITH UTILITIES ACROSS EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA AND CONCLUDES WITH AN OUTLOOK THAT SETS THE DIRECTION FOR THE SECTOR’S FUTURE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE DEMAND FOR WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES IS STEADILY RISING, PARTICULARLY IN URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AREAS, WHILE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND RISING OPERATIONAL COSTS PLACE PRESSURE ON SERVICE PROVIDERS. IN ADDITION, INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS REMAIN SIGNIFICANT AND REQUIRE URGENT AND SUSTAINED INVESTMENT. IN RESPONSE TO THESE CHALLENGES, THE SECTOR HAS TAKEN DELIBERATE STEPS TO STRENGTHEN REGULATORY OVERSIGHT, ENHANCE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH IMPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

AS WE REFLECT ON PROGRESS IN THE SECTOR, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE THE CRITICAL ROLE PLAYED BY THE MEDIA IN SHAPING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE MEDIA HAS CONSISTENTLY SERVED AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE SECTOR AND THE CITIZENS, HIGHLIGHTING BOTH ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES, AND ENSURING THAT WATER AND SANITATION ISSUES REMAIN PART OF THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION. IN THIS REGARD, WE ARE PROUD TO INCLUDE RECOGNITION AND AWARDS FOR MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING ON THE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SECTOR. THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS INVALUABLE IN DRIVING TRANSPARENCY, ADVOCACY, AND INFORMED PUBLIC DISCOURSE.

INVITED GUESTS

ALLOW ME ALSO TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE TO OUR COOPERATING PARTNERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT. WE EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO GIZ, FOR THEIR TECHNICAL AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT TO THE SECTOR. WE ARE EQUALLY GRATEFUL TO THE WORLD BANK FOR THE SUPPORT RENDERED TO TO NWASCO THROUGH THE P4R PROGRAMME AND ALSO FOR SPONSORING THIS YEAR’S REPORT LAUNCH, DEMONSTRATING THEIR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES IN ZAMBIA. SUCH PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL IN ENABLING US TO ACHIEVE OUR SHARED GOALS.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND THE DEDICATED STAFF OF NWASCO FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, TEAMWORK AND COMMITMENT, WHICH HAVE MADE THE SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION AND LAUNCH OF THIS REPORT POSSIBLE. THEIR EFFORTS CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE SECTOR FORWARD.

AS WE CELEBRATE AND APPRECIATE THE HARDWORKING MEMBERS OF STAFF AT NWASCO, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS EVENING WE HONOR OUR RESEARCH AND RESOURCE CENTER OFFICER MR. CHRISPIN LUKWANDA FOR AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE—20 YEARS OF DEDICATED AND UNINTERRUPTED SERVICE.

THIS ACHIEVEMENT REFLECTS NOT ONLY COMMITMENT AND RESILIENCE, BUT ALSO A LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO THE INSTITUTION’S GROWTH AND IMPACT. WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THIS REMARKABLE JOURNEY.

LOOKING AHEAD, OUR PRIORITIES REMAIN CLEAR. WE MUST EXPAND ACCESS TO SAFE AND RELIABLE WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES, STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE-RELATED CHALLENGES, ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPROVE SERVICE QUALITY FOR ALL ZAMBIANS. THE LAUNCH OF THIS REPORT IS THEREFORE NOT AN END IN ITSELF, BUT A CALL TO ACTION, A CALL TO DO BETTER, TO WORK SMARTER AND TO COLLABORATE MORE EFFECTIVELY AS A SECTOR.

TOGETHER, WE CAN BUILD A FUTURE WHERE SAFE WATER AND DIGNIFIED SANITATION ARE NOT PRIVILEGES, BUT REALITIES FOR EVERY ZAMBIAN.

I WILL NOW INVITE MR. CHRISPIN LUKWANDA TO RECEIVE HIS AWARD. CONGRATULATIONS!

I THANK YOU.