The Government and European Commission (EC) have signed a financial agreement under which the EC will provide about M212 million for upgrading and strengthening of 110 kilometres of selected portions of Lesotho's paved road network.

Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Timothy Thahane signed on behalf of the Government, while the European Commission was represented by Mr. Peter Christiansen at the occasion held at the Ministry's boardroom on Wednesday.

Addressing the media after the signing, Dr Thahane said the selected portions include a 65 kilometres road of Main South One Road from Ha Matala to the Mafeteng roundabout, a 15 kilometres from Main North One Road from Lakeside Traffic Lights to Maqhaka.

Others are a seven kilometres road from Hleoheng to Seretse Khama junction as well as six kilometres from Peka Town to Peka Bridge and 18 kilometres from Ha Moruthane to Morija via Matsieng.

Dr Thahane said the financing agreement is testimony to the long-standing and growing development cooperation and partnership between Lesotho and Europe.

"In this regard, he said, it may be recalled that in the recent past, a number of financing agreements were also singed by the Parties under which the EC would provide grants to Lesotho amounting to M270 Million to support transport infrastructure, orphans and vulnerable children and improvements in public financial management."

He further said the upgrading and strengthening of the 110 kilometres of the paved road network underscores Government's commitment to construct, rehabilitate and maintain roads to open up access to basic services and reduce the cost and risk of doing business. This, he said stimulates
economic growth and reduce poverty.

On the other hand, Mr. Christiansen said having been constructed some 40 years ago, the state of the roads have gradually deteriorated with major potholes exacerbated by water volumes in the rainy season.

'The degraded state of the surfaces of these roads poses a safety hazard as well as resulting in traffic congestion, delays and high costs to operators and passenger,' he commented.

He said the aim of the project is to upgrade the paved surfaces, rehabilitate drainage structures along the roads and make major junctions safer.

Mr. Christiansen also emphasised the need for the government to maintain the roads properly and pledged further support to the government on other projects next year.

The work on the upgrading of these selected portions is expected to commence in 2008 and be completed in 2011, following the completion of bidding process for construction companies.

Source: LENA 05/09/2007