Fort Portal:

Citizens of Fort Portal Municipality may benefit from better hygiene and sanitation system after the Japanese government gave them garbage collection equipment Ush125 million.

The Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Kato who commissioned the project this week at Kabarole Public Library said: “The new tools together with the ones that had been in use can now ensure the effective garbage collection and transportation.”

Kato congratulated the efforts made by the Fort Portal Municipality and emphasized the responsibility of the citizens in maintaining and promoting the clean environment.

According to the municipal council, waste generation in Fort Portal is estimated at 89 tonnes each day; the available facilities could only transport 37 tonnes a day. The project contributes to the reduction of sanitation related diseases in the area benefiting approximately 70,000 citizens in Fort Portal and nearby villages.

The donation by Japan is part of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), a scheme administered by the Japanese Embassy to support community-based development projects.

Japan, steadily promoting ownership of and partnership with Africa through Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process, is committed to boosting economic growth, achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and consolidation of peace and good governance in Africa.