Planning Ministry, EBRD sign 2 $19 million agreements

Amman: The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed two loan and project agreements for the implementation and construction of a $19 million wastewater treatment plant in West Irbid. According to the Ministry of Planning's website on Monday, the agreements were signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan and Sue Barrett, Director of Infrastructure for Europe, Middle East and Africa at the EBRD, in the presence of Heike Harmgart, Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region at the EBRD, and Gretchen Berry, Director of the EBRD's office in Amman and responsible for the Bank's operations in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Toukan explained that this funding for the plant project aims to establish and sustainably improve the sewage system in the West Irbid area and provide sewage services to neighboring towns and villages. She said that the EBRD worked to mobilize a gra nt for the project worth $8 million from the United Kingdom under the High Impact Partnership on Climate Action, in addition to an investment grant worth 2.75 million euros from the European Union, bringing the total funding for the project to about $30 million, with grant agreements to be signed later. Toukan said that the West Irbid Wastewater Treatment Plant project, which will be implemented over a period of 4 years in terms of construction and operation, is complementary and linked to an existing project (West Irbid Sewerage Networks) funded by a loan and grants through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for about 53 million euros. Source: Jordan News Agency