[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48498-48499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19818]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Executive-Led Trade Mission to South Africa and Zambia

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Amendment to Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is amending the 
Notice published at 77 FR 31574, May 29, 2012, regarding the Executive-
Led Trade Mission to South Africa and Zambia scheduled for November 26-
30, 2012, to add to the targeted sectors the water sector (i.e., water 
supply, sanitation, and drainage systems) and architecture, 
construction and technical assistance services related to development 
of water sector infrastructure and encourage applications from U.S. 
exporters in that sector. Because of this amendment, the Department 
will delay until August 24, 2012 beginning to make selection decisions 
on a rolling basis to allow time for U.S. exporters in this newly-
targeted sector to submit applications before any selection decisions 
are made. Except as specified herein, all other information in the May 
29, 2012 Notice, including the October 5, 2012 application deadline, 
remains unchanged.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Spector, U.S. and Foreign 
Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC, Tel: 
202-482-2054, Fax: 202-482-9000, Email: [email protected]; or 
Larry Farris, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Consulate, Johannesburg, 
South Africa, Tel: +55-11 290-3316, Fax: +55-11 884-0538, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In May 2012, the Millennium Challenge Corporation awarded a five-
year, $354.8 million Compact with the

[[Page 48499]]

Republic of Zambia aimed at reducing poverty through economic growth 
(the ``Compact''). The Compact addresses one of Zambia's most binding 
constraints to economic growth through investment in the water sector. 
The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, 
U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service anticipates that this Compact will 
create opportunities for U.S. companies in the water sector that are 
interested in doing business in Zambia and is therefore amending the 
mission statement for the Executive-Led Trade Mission to South Africa 
and Zambia scheduled for November 26-30, 2012, to add the water sector 
as described below to the list of targeted sectors for this mission, 
which also includes electric power and energy efficiency technologies, 
equipment and services; productivity enhancing agricultural 
technologies and equipment; transportation equipment and 
infrastructure; and mining equipment and technology.

Amendments

    For the reasons stated above, the Mission Description and Best 
Prospects in Targeted Sectors sections of the Notice of the Executive-
Led Mission to Zambia and South Africa, 77 FR 31574, May 29, 2012, are 
amended as follows:
    1. Under Mission Description, after ``Bulk materials handling 
technology'', add the following text:

Water Sector

    [cir] Water supply
    [cir] Sanitation
    [cir] Drainage systems
    [cir] Engineering and construction companies related to development 
of water sector infrastructure
    [cir] Innovators in bottom of the pyramid water supply and 
sanitation service delivery
    2. Under Best Prospects in Mission Targeted Sectors, after ``Zambia 
also has cobalt, gold, uranium, nickel, manganese, coal, and gemstones, 
and produces 20 percent of the world's emeralds.'', add the following 
text:

Water

    The Government of Zambia has entered into a five-year, $354.8 
million Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. 
government agency that works to reduce poverty through economic growth. 
The Compact will address one of Zambia's largest constraints on 
economic growth through the investment in the water sector. The Compact 
is expected to improve upon more than 15 years of water sector reform 
through which Zambia has developed a strong, commercially-operated 
utility, an independent regulator and a sound legal and regulatory 
structure. Through these reforms, the Government of Zambia has built a 
firm foundation for a Compact aimed to assist the nation's rapidly 
urbanizing capital of Lusaka.
    Lusaka currently has a population of over 1.8 million people, 
making up more than 10 percent of Zambia's total population. By 2035, 
this number is projected to grow to nearly five million residents. Yet, 
the water supply and sanitation and drainage system that serves this 
rapidly growing population was constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, 
built for a significantly smaller city. Despite large-scale reform, to 
both policy and infrastructure, to Zambia's water sector over the past 
15 years, the municipal water system has not experienced the benefit 
from major capital investment in the intervening years. As a result, 
the system's core infrastructure is outdated, dilapidated and incapable 
of meeting current or future demand.
    South Africa has made significant reforms to adopt an integrated 
approach to water resource management (IWRM), where water security for 
poverty alleviation and growth features as a national priority. This 
reform has been executed through policy and legislative changes, as 
well as the restructuring of existing institutions and establishment of 
new institutions for policy implementation. Furthermore, the Government 
of South Africa has brought rise to major development in their water 
system by ensuring that all citizens have access to functioning basic 
water services and to a functioning basic sanitation facility by 2010. 
Today, 88% of households have access to water services compared to 59% 
in 1994 and 73% of households have access to basic sanitation compared 
to 48% in 1994.
    Notwithstanding these achievements, developing appropriate enablers 
to implement the changes brought about by the new legislation, policies 
and strategies remains a challenge. Citizens are frustrated with the 
gap between the water services they receive and the service levels and 
quality they are promised and expect. Existing schemes and networks are 
not meeting the demands of the fruits of a prosperous growth and 
development era in South Africa, whilst service delivery challenges 
increase as towns and cities populations grow faster than service 
expansion can keep pace.

Frank Spector,
Senior International Trade Specialist, Global Trade Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-19818 Filed 8-13-12; 8:45 am]
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