The World Bank says it is ready to partly finance some hydro-power projects in Zambia if the government can indicate how they hope to proceed, Zambia Daily Mail reported Thursday.

World Bank country representative Ohene Nyanin was cited as saying the projects to be funded include the Kafue Gorge Lower, the Itezhi Tezhi and expansion of the Kariba North Bank hydro-power stations.

Nyanin said these projects, upon completion, would not only benefit Zambia but also the entire southern African region which is threatened with electricity power deficit by 2008.

Development of the three projects will require a total of 1,220 million U.S. dollars, the newspaper said, while the Zambia-Tanzania- Kenya interconnect project will require another 660 million dollars.

Nyanin said as financiers, the bank together with Development Bank of Southern Africa has agreed on the outcome that funding was not a problem if a well structured bankable project was developed.

He added that the Zambian government needed to package the project in a competitive way.

Meanwhile, the World Bank will give Zambia 48 million dollars from this year up to 2012 under a water sector performance improvement project to facilitate reforms in water sector, according to a report of Times of Zambia.

The paper cited a project information document by the World Bank as saying 23 million dollars would be released in the first phase to introduce modern management methods with Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC).

In the second phase which runs from 2009 to 2012, another 25 million dollars will go towards major capital works to extend service delivery network and provide long-term solutions and improve quality of water service in Lusaka.

Source: Xinhua