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Ghana to double its energy generation
capacity to 4000 megawatts-Kufuor
Accra, Feb. 7, GNA - Ghana is to double its energy capacity
to about 4,000 megawatts within the next five years as part
of the Government's vision to speed up the country's
industrialization, President John Agyekum Kufuor, has
announced.
The present generation mix of about 1,300 megawatts would go
up by an additional 1,000 megawatts by the close of the
year.
President Kufuor, who dropped the hint during a courtesy
call on him at the Castle, Osu, by the National Executive
Council of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) on
Wednesday said the new generation system would not be
dependent on the weather.
The AGI Executive Council members were there to share their
views with the President on ways of enhancing the country's
manufacturing sector.
President Kufuor gave the assurance that the current energy
crisis that has resulted in load shedding would be over in
the next two to three months.
He said realizing that without affordable, reliable and
efficient energy supply system, there could not be effective
industrialization, the Government, since its inception in
2001 made energy a priority agenda.
He said, it was for this reason that it raised 40 million
dollars as Ghana's equity in the West African Gas Pipeline
Project, which should have come on stream last December but
for the problems in the Niger Delta region.
The contractors on the project were now on course to deliver
the gas to the shores of Ghana by May, this year.
President Kufuor said alongside this project, the Government
has concluded arrangement with some companies to build
Thermal Plants and was also on the verge of signing an
agreement with China to begin the construction of the Bui
Hydro-electric dam.
The Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning, Energy and
the Attorney General are presently in China for this.
President Kufuor told the AGI National Executive Council
members that the Government was doing everything within the
ECOWAS to help to remove impediments to free trade within
the sub-region.
"This is a friendly Government. Your success reflects well
on the success of the Government."
Mr Tony Oteng Gyasi, President of the Association, said the
right policies and incentives put in place by the Government
have put the manufacturing sector on the path of growth.
He said they would however, want to see the strengthening of
the regulatory and inspection agencies like the Ghana
Standards Board (GSB), Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so that they would
apply equal checks and scrutiny on imported goods as they do
to the made-in-Ghana goods.
"They should be strengthened to be effective to give us a
level playing field."
GNA
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