Practical Steps to Improving Utility Creditworthiness and Accessing Funding

Improving creditworthiness and access to funding sources can positively impact the operational and financial performance of water utilities in developing countries. Our panel of WASH finance experts will explore ways utilities can strengthen their credit profile and gain access to finance.


 

Host

Barika Poole, OLS Manager & Facilitator – ROCKBlue

Barika is the founder and president of BRP Consulting, Inc., an engineering consulting services firm specializing in water resources management, supply design, technical analysis and training. From 2020 to 2021, she served as executive director of SPOUTS, a Uganda-based NGO that provides access to safe, clean drinking water through ceramic water filter technology. For 12 years, she was a water resources project manager with CDM Smith, a leading global engineering and construction consulting firm. A professional engineer with nearly 20 years of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experience, she has worked with municipalities, government agencies and private sector clients.

Panelists:

Andre Kruger, CEO - PPP Training Online

Andre is CEO and founder of PPP Training Online (Pty) Ltd., an internationally-accredited firm that has trained over 500 infrastructure practitioners from across Africa and developed specialized PPP courses across various sectors. For more than 30 years, he worked in banking with Absa Group Limited (formerly Amalgamated Banks of South Africa) and Barclays Africa. Andre specializes in infrastructure finance and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and is a passionate proponent of increased private sector participation in the delivery of infrastructure and enhancing service delivery. He has provided consulting services for the Danish Embassy, EIB, IFC, SIWI, UK-China Infrastructure Alliance, UK Prosperity Fund, USAID and the World Bank.  

Ann Munyua, Project Leader - Open Capital

Ann is a project leader at Open Capital Advisors (OCA), a management consulting firm that has completed more than 800 engagements to date across 25 sub-Saharan African countries. Ann has broad WASH experience working with water utilities across public and private sectors in Africa and Southeast Asia. She has advised water utilities in Kenya through USAID's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Finance (WASH-FIN) program to assess their creditworthiness, identify areas to strengthen their creditworthiness and prepare bankable proposals to access financing. Ann holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Nairobi and is a CPA Finalist.  

Eyal Shevel, Sector Head - CGR Ratings

Eyal is head of corporate and public sector ratings at Global Credit Ratings. He has extensive experience across the various industries, having conducted ratings for construction, industrial, agricultural and mining companies across Africa. In the public sector, Eyal has led the credit rating teams for a number of Municipal ratings and has also been involved in projects in the Water and Energy sectors. Eyal continues to work with development agencies in promoting creditworthiness in public sector entities in Africa.

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