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JBIC
Agrees to Lend us$127Milllion
for San José Sewerage Project
The Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC) has agreed to
lend us$127 million for a
sewerage project that will
benefit Costa Rica's capital San
José, the Costa Rican foreign
affairs ministry reported.
Government representatives from
both countries are to sign
letters pledging to push forward
the loan in the next 10 days,
Rafael Villalta, executive
president of state water utility
AyA (Acueductos y
Alcantarillados) that serves the
city, told BNamericas.
AyA will now focus on ensuring
it meets the loan's contract and
regulatory requirements, before
presenting the loan agreement to
Costa Rica's congress for
approval by April 30 at the
latest, Villalta said.
He added that the first funds
are due to be disbursed within a
year, with works slated to begin
in 2008. AyA will launch
international tenders to carry
out the works.
The project is "the largest to
be carried out in Central
America," according to Villalta.
It will involve the construction
of 1,700km of sewerage network
and cost us$437 million.
The project's first phase is due
to wrap up in 2015 and entails
rehabilitating collectors
(45km), new collectors (39km),
rehabilitating secondary
networks (217km), new secondary
networks (143km), a tunnel
(1.89km), an outlet pipe (3.5km)
and a water treatment plant.
This phase will cost Uus$230
million.
The us$220 imillion second phase
is scheduled to conclude in
2025.
The project, dubbed "Mejoramiento
de Ambiente Metropolitano de San
José," aims to increase sewerage
coverage in San José's
metropolitan area to 85%.
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