TUNISIA: Support to ONAS to Develop a Sewerage PPP Program Phase II

The Tunisian Government set the goal of having by early 2017 about half of its nationwide infrastructure (representing more than 60 wastewater treatment plants and 3.6 million people served) directly operated by private operators under regional Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contracts. This represents a change of paramount importance for the national sewerage utility of Tunisia (ONAS, Office National de l’Assainissement).

In this context, The Government of Tunisia requested PPIAF assistance to continue supporting ONAS in the implementation of its PPP program, in parallel with the AFFI (Facility of the Arab Financing Facility for Infrastructure)-funded PPP transaction advisor for the first batch (2 regional contracts) intended to be awarded by the end of 2018. This was the second phase of PPIAF support to the sewerage PPP reform in Tunisia, following the successful preparation of the scoping report in 2013, and it has combined ONAS organizational and capacity strengthening and targeted assistance to help implement a well-designed communication strategy in order to raise awareness of various stakeholders on the proposed PPP Program.