The government has recently taken two key economic initiatives aimed at restructuring the vital service sectors of electricity and communications. Time is precious and every moment must be utilized if we are to win a place in a global race which involves all countries of the world. The importance of time becomes apparent when considering the urgent needs of a large sector of the population. A delay of only one day in a project designed to benefit a million people may lead to huge losses.
It is true that a great deal has been achieved over the past three decades under the Kingdom’s various development plans. Development has included both the human and economic sectors though, it must be admitted, we still have a long way to go. One vital area that needs immediate attention is the expansion and improvement of sewage services. This is a project which people have heard being discussed for a long time but which nobody seems to know the status of. Published reports tell us that the available sewage service takes care of only a fraction of actual needs and that the project implementation could take up to 25 years.
It is unfortunate that despite the project being of vital importance, operating on a commercial basis and thus generating cash revenues, it remains confined to its early stages and is yet to become reality. Such a project could be undertaken by the private sector which, after building and operating the network, could recoup expenses by selling the service for a fixed period of time.
All residents of the Kingdom — citizens and expatriates — have been waiting for these services and cities and towns have grown and expanded without proper sewage system. There are still no clear reasons to justify the delays. If the problem lies with low returns which discourage investors, the solution may lie in reviewing charges, taking into account different economic considerations while providing subsidies to benefit the poorer sections.
28 September 2002
