110 COMMUNITIES IN ASHANTI, BRONG AHAFO REGIONS TO GET ELECTRICITY

THE Ministry of Energy has signed a joint agreement with MBH Power and Shreem Electrical Limited for the provision of electricity to 110 communities in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions.

The project, estimated to cost $18 million, is expected to increase electricity access rate in the two regions under the government’s Self Help Electrification Programme (SHEP), a complementary programme under the National Electrification Scheme (NES).

The project is expected to be completed within 18 months.

Under the project, a non-congested transmission system would be developed to sustain power generation capacity in the communities.

Similarly, rehabilitation works would be carried out on distribution infrastructure aimed at meeting the 10 per cent projected growth in power demand as part of the government’s medium-term goals.

The Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, signed on behalf of the ministry, while the Managing Director of MBH Power, Mr Bagu Mukhi, initialled for his organisation.
The minister indicated that the project’s objectives were in furtherance to increasing the national average access to 80 per cent by 2015 and universal access by 2020.

“It was for this reason that the government obtained a loan facility to the tune of $30 million from the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development (EBID) for the NES, from which the project is being funded,” Dr Oteng-Adjei said.

Similarly, he said, the government would apply the EBID facility to cover cost associated with the project.

While commending the two entities for the professionalism exhibited so far, Dr Oteng-Adjei emphasised that the ministry would not compromise on its effort to incorporate local content into the project, and that informed the government’s decision to include the 30 percentage local content in the agreement.

“We don’t expect you to bring in a ship full of Indians to climb poles, when we have more qualified people here who could as well perform to the task,” he stated.

He warned that the government would not hesitate to recall the company and its people should they engage in acts of derogatory remarks and actions aimed at dehumanising indigenes in the beneficiary communities.

“My advice, therefore, to you as contractors is to ensure that Ghanaians, particularly indigenes in the beneficiary communities, become involved in the execution of the project,” the minister counselled.

The Managing Director of MBH Power, Mr Bagu Mukhi, commended the transparent process in which government officials awarded the project.

He indicated that Ghana had consistently remained the most potential country in Africa that had adequately ensured the integration of the power sector into the country’s economic growth.

While pledging the two companies’ commitment to assiduously work to meet the deadline of the project, Mr Bagu gave an assurance that the contractors would work within the framework of the country’s regulations.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Thur Dec 8, 2011