Paraguay terminating budgetless waterworks contracts

Paraguay's environmental sanitation department (Senasa) is terminating waterworks contracts that were signed during the previous government but did not have assigned budgets.

Senasa head Sara López told state-owned Radio Nacional that "we found many contracts that were committed to but practically without a budget. Now we're trying to terminate what we can and to define a line of action in order to finish several works."

López said the department will invest US$60mn to expand water services in 130 rural and indigenous communities.

She said the projects involve eight new sewerage systems, 85 new rural potable water systems and 30 new indigenous water systems.

Earlier this month the head of the country's water utility Essap said the state-owned firm and the public works ministry plan to invest US$6bn in expanding water services by 2030.