Where are the investments going?
HAVANA TIMES – Despite constant reports of investments in hydraulic resources, an average of more than one million Cubans (around 10% of the total population) had difficulties accessing running water in mid-September 2024, according to official data.
State media frequently report on investment figures aimed at improving access to water. However, these actions do not seem to alleviate the crisis. “Many things have been done, but people do not see the impact,” admitted Ines María Chapman, Deputy Prime Minister, during a visit to Pinar del Río.
At the end of May 2024, it was revealed that Kuwait contributed 102 million dollars to the island to improve the operation of the national hydraulic resources system. The money was arranged into five loans, and —according to Antonio Rodriguez, president of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH)— 84.7% of it had been executed.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has been providing funds to Cuba since 2003. Rodriguez stated that all the loans had been used in projects in Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Havana. Rodriguez also mentioned ongoing projects in sewage and sanitation in the capital, as well as a comprehensive solution to flooding along the Malecon boardwalk.
In March 2024, Granma reported that investments had not stopped. The official Communist Party newspaper announced that more than 67,000 Cubans had benefited from new water connections. Fernando Perez Gomez, INRH’s Director of Infrastructure, pointed out deficiencies such as the lack of construction materials to complete the works.
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