Azernews.Az

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is extending a sovereign loan of €7 million to Georgia to introduce a modern solid-waste management system covering the collection and disposal of municipal solid waste in its southern region of Kvemo Kartli.

The EBRD financing will be complemented by grant funding of €3 million from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Bank reported.

Five municipalities of Kvemo Kartli (Marneuli, Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Tetritskaro and Tsalka) will not only receive a modern landfill, which will be compliant with the corresponding European Union landfill design standards, but also acquire specialised vehicles, containers and other equipment.

EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti said: “We know that solid waste management is a key priority for Georgia. The Bank is happy to help address this issue through the Kvemo Kartli project, which is a very good example of international cooperation. We hope it sets an important industry pattern, which will be replicated in other municipalities across the country.”

Funds necessary for the project preparation, including the feasibility study, were provided by SIDA. After the loan signing, SIDA will also provide funding for project implementation support services, a corporate development programme, stakeholder participation and a municipality support programme, as well as an environmental impact assessment.

In Georgia, the EBRD is the largest institutional investor. Since the beginning of its operations there, the EBRD has invested approximately €2.6 billion in over 178 projects.

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