800 communities to benefit from rural electrification programme

Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - Government has committed $170 million to provide electricity to 800 communities, under the Rural Electrification Programme. Mr. Emmanuel Armah- Kofi Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy, who announced this on Thursday, said the amount was part of a $350 million loan facility from the Chinese government to extend electricity to more communities to facilitate development.

Mr. Buah was answering questions from Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament from Bimbilla and Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Member, Amenfi East who enquired about the extension of electricity to their constituencies. He said Bakpaba, Lanja, Bincharatanga, Juasheya, Nakpa, Dipa, Juanayili, Taali and Sabonjida formed part of the on-going Self- Help Electricity Project(SHEP) in the Bimbilla Constituency in the Northern Region.

He said construction of high voltage and low voltage networks and sub-station works had been completed at Bakpaba, Lanja, Taali, Sabonjida and Bicharatanga while customer service connections were on-going. Mr. Buah said Nyamebekyere and Abotareye Communities in the Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region were earmarked to benefit from the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project, funded by the World Bank and other development partners, which would begin in June 2010.

He said Subriso, would be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification programme, while Saa, Dompaase and Abokyire- Krobo communities were earmarked for the SHEP four Phase One Project, Mr. Buah said Abenabena, Nkonya, Pewako, Babianiha, Huntaado and Adonnoi were among communities listed to benefit from subsequent programmes. He stated that the rural electrification programme was done in fairness and transparency, which compelled the ministry to ensure that communities in all the 10 regions got their fair share of the cake.