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Multi rural communities to benefit from electrification
project
Tanodumase (Ash.), Jan.7, Ghanadot/GNA -
Five hundred and eighty rural communities in the country are
to benefit from a 90 million-dollar electrification project
under the National Electrification Scheme (NES).
The China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE)
is undertaking the project with a loan facility of 81
million dollars from the Chinese Government. The Government
of Ghana would provide nine million dollars counterpart
funding.
The NES is a government of Ghana initiative aimed at
carrying out rural energy delivery in a multi-sectoral
manner in the areas of health, education, sanitation and
other components to reduce poverty and propel the country's
growth agenda in a 30-year period.
Communities from the Ashanti; Brong Ahafo; Central; Eastern;
Greater Accra; Upper East; Upper West; Volta and Western
Regions are expected to benefit from the project.
Mr Kwame Ampfo Twumasi. Deputy Minister of Energy, who made
this known, said the Project formed part of the fourth phase
of the NES, which was expected to benefit 2,000 communities
in Ghana at a total cost of 480 million dollars.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Ashanti Regional
Rural Electrification Project at Tanodumase in the
Atwima-Mponua District of Ashanti, on Friday.
He said the CWE had previously supported the NES at a cost
of 32 million dollars for the extension of electricity to
144 communities under the Volta Lake Resettlement Township
Electrification Project, which started in 2000 and was
completed in 2003.
Mr Twumasi said about 4,000 rural communities had so far
been connected to the National Electricity Grid under the
NES, which was started in 1990, adding that, over 50 per
cent of communities in Ghana now had access to electricity.
He noted that the new policy initiatives for the NES would
be to connect five communities in each district to
electricity as had been indicated in the 2008 Budget
Statement, saying the emphasis would be on the productive
uses of power and priority for projects would be based on
the potential for productive use of electricity.
The Deputy Minister said Solar (PV) technology would be
expanded to off-grid areas and would be targeted at health
centres; telecom facilities; ICT; schools and where
appropriate, productive enterprises.
Mr Twumasi warned the contractors working on the project
against shoddy work and called for early completion of the
projects.
Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister,
recounted a number of successes achieved by the Government
since if assumed office and said all the initiatives were
meant to improve the living conditions of the people.
He said the Tanodumase Junction to Tanodumase road had been
awarded on contract as part of the cocoa growing areas road
rehabilitation project, while 400 boreholes would be dug to
supply potable water to some communities in the District.
Mr Isaac Kwame Asiama, Member of Parliament for
Atwima-Mponua, urged the people to support the Government in
its developmental agenda.
Mr Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah, District Chief Executive for the
area, said the rural electrification project would help to
boost socio-economic development in rural communities.
GNA
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