The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr. Shafic Suleman, on April 8, 2025, opened the conference on the Review of Regulatory Frameworks for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation and Small Water Supplies. The event took place at the Best Western Plus Accra Beach Hotel, where participants from selected African countries gathered in Ghana, from April 8-10, 2025 to review the existing framework. According to Dr. Suleman, “it is both an honour and a deep sense of responsibility to host this gathering of experts, regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, all united by a shared commitment to improving rural water services”.
Dr. Suleman on behalf of the PURC and the people of Ghana, extended his warmest welcome to his esteemed colleagues from the Eastern and Southern African Water and Sanitation Regulators Association (ESAWAS), African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR), Water Utility Regulation Department (WURD) of Uganda, Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) of Kenya, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) of Zambia, AguaConsult, and all other institutions represented.
According to Dr. Shafic, “access to safe and sustainable water services remains a fundamental human right and a crucial driver of socio-economic development. Key strategies to provide water access include increasing sector-wide investment and capacity-building, promoting innovation and evidence-based action, enhancing cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, and adopting a more integrated and holistic approach to water management. Water is essential not only to health but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education.”
Dr. Suleman, reminded participants that, Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) 2022 as the reference point, where 2.2billion people still lacked access to safely managed drinking water, with 703million people living without basic water service. He indicated that 3.5billion people lacked safely managed sanitation, including 1.5billion people who live without basic sanitation services; 2billion people lacked basic handwashing facility, and 653 million people are living without any handwashing facilities at all.
The Executive Secretary indicated that, on SDG 6, African countries have improved access to safely managed drinking water services, however, a significant disparity still remains between rural and urban areas, where three in five Africans, or 411 million people still lack safely managed drinking water.
Dr. Suleman reiterated the point made that in Ghana and many African countries, rural and small-community water supply systems serve a significant proportion of the population. However, these systems often face challenges related to financing, service reliability, infrastructure sustainability, and regulatory oversight, among others. “Over the past decades, Ghana has made remarkable strides in expanding water access, with national water coverage improving significantly” he stressed. Nevertheless, gaps remain, particularly in the rural and peri-urban sectors, where service quality, accountability, and financial viability require urgent attention.
Dr. Suleman indicated that the workshop is evidence of the power of collaboration. “The diverse expertise in this room, from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and beyond, presents an invaluable opportunity to share insights and build a framework that is both contextually relevant and globally informed. The regulatory landscape for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation is evolving, and it is imperative that we adopt innovative approaches that strengthen oversight, promote private sector participation, and enhance community engagement”, he said.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Suleman indicated that this review process provides an opportunity to evaluate our existing regulatory tools, identify best practices, and develop a harmonized solution that can drive service improvements while ensuring affordability, sustainability, and equity. Together, we can ensure that rural communities and small towns across Africa have access to reliable, safe, and affordable water services supported by strong regulatory mechanisms.
Participants came from Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Germany, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Burundi, Malawi, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zanzibar.
