Preparation of technical assistance for the water and sanitation sector in the Punjab Province, Pakistan

In late November 2023, Espelia carried out a mission in Pakistan aimed at supporting Pakistani counterparts in preparing technical assistance to improve the performance of water and sanitation operators in the cities of Lahore (11 million inhabitants) and Faisalabad (3 million inhabitants), as well as to enhance the regulatory framework for water and sanitation services in the Punjab Province.

During the mission, the team conducted a series of interviews with the operators, the Department of Housing, Urban Development, and Public Health (HUD & PHED), and the Punjab Government responsible for regulating services, as well as the Urban Unit responsible for providing technical support to public service operators.

Espelia also visited the premises of the operators in Lahore and Faisalabad, discussed with the operators' staff the measures implemented for water and sanitation service management in each city, and became acquainted with the difficulties encountered and their expectations regarding the technical assistance. The main challenges facing the operators can be summarized as follows: 1) the need to improve operational, commercial, and financial performance for better service quality, including 2) the digital transformation of service management, ultimately leading to 3) achieving financial balance in the context of rising energy costs.

The findings of this mission will refine the tender documents, the structuring of the technical assistance contract, and its monitoring modalities to ensure the success conditions for the implementation of support to both operators and the Punjab Government in improving the performance of water and sanitation services.

This project is part of a capacity-building and institutional dialogue approach to improve the management of existing services and ensure the sustainability of major infrastructure projects in Lahore and Faisalabad.

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