afrol News, 11 February - The Millennium Challenge Account – Lesotho (MCA - Lesotho) has qualified for first disbursement of the compact funds after completing a cycle of steps in the implementation of the ambitious five-year Lesotho programme.

The first disbursement is in the amount of approximately $5 million from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which government officials said it marked yet another milestone in the implementation of the Lesotho Compact on schedule.

The $362 million five year compact between the government of Lesotho and the United States, was signed on 23 July 2007, while the actual kick-off of the compact implementation was on 17 September, 2008.

"Today we are pleased to announce that conditions precedent to first disbursement of compact funds, have been met and we have begun to draw down the funds allocated to Lesotho," the compact team announced today in Maseru.

The team also disclosed that as at the end of January 2009, local contractors and consultants had so far benefited from the compact funds amount to M16, 932, 562.00.

The Lesotho compact is to address three main components of expanding health services and access, portable water to communities and private sector development. Amongst projects which will be the highlight of the compact are the construction of the Lowlands Water Project dam of Metolong and the refurbishing and construction of rural clinics across the country.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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