The news comes less than 24 hours before Biwater’s Dorking HQ was to be targeted by a protest on UN World Water Day (22 March) opposing the privatisation. WDM campaigners will gather as planned but to celebrate victory. They will be joined by Rudolf Amenga-Etego, a leading water and civil rights campaigner from Ghana who is in the UK on a national speaking tour as part of the campaign against Biwater.



A massive movement against the sell off in Ghana has appealed for companies not to bid for the water contract, which they believe will undermine access to clean water for the people of Ghana. They asked British campaigners to help stop the privatisation. For the past few months thousands of World Development Movement (WDM) supporters have contacted Biwater’s Chief Executive Officer, Larry Magor asking him to not to bid for the contract.



Biwater is claiming today it decided to withdraw from the bidding process a month ago but members of the WDM have received letters from Larry Magor within the past ten days stating “we have yet to decide whether we will tender for the project in Ghana”.



Rudolf Amenga-Etego today said: “The withdrawal of Biwater is one small victory in this campaign and a great present to the people of Ghana in celebration of world water day. This is an exciting moment for Ghanaian campaigning for justice. We have struggled to get business out of water. We urge those other companies who are still thinking of bidding for this contract to do the same as Biwater. Ghana’s water is not for sale!”



Beverley Duckworth, Head of Campaigns at WDM today said: “This is a fantastic victory. Biwater has backed off from bidding for Ghana’s water after massive pressure from our campaign. We will continue to support the people of Ghana in their struggle to keep water out of the hands of foreign multinationals.



“Water privatisation in developing countries has repeatedly led to massive price hikes and is failing to connect poor people to clean water. We want to see an end to the failed policy of water privatisation which the UK Government continues to promote around the world.”



WDM launched the campaign in response to a direct appeal from Ghana’s National Coalition Against the Privatisation of Water, a broad-based campaign which unites trade unions, churches, NGOs and communities in its opposition to the privatisation scheme.



In a letter to WDM, Mr Amenga-Etego wrote: “In Ghana, almost half the population is below the poverty line. Many more lack access to basic sanitation services. But this privatisation will do nothing to change that. The proposed contract does not require the private company to invest any money into Ghana’s water supply. There is no obligation to extend services into poor or rural areas.”

More information about water privatisation in Ghana can be found at  http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/aid/ghana/index.htm

1.1 billion people lack access to clean water and 2.4 billion don’t have basic sanitation. Britain is signed up to the United Nations’ pledge to halve the proportion of people in developing countries without access to safe drinking water by 2015.