90% of communities to get electricity by 2016

The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has indicated that 90 per cent of communities in the country will be connected to the national grid by 2016.

Currently, he said, the government had achieved about 80 per cent accessibility, and the ministry was undertaking more electrification projects to achieve the per cent coverage in the next two years.

Hon. Buah gave the assurance when he appeared before Parliament to be quizzed by his fellow lawmakers on efforts government was making to extend electricity to all communities in the country.

He said "a list of un-electrified communities from all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies," were currently being compiled to enable the Ministry carry out feasibility studies for electrification works to begin.

"Following the completion of the feasibility studies, the community and several others will be packaged for electrification after the financing arrangement and the necessary procurement process have been concluded within the stipulated period of achieving universal access to electricity," the Minister said.

Hon. Buah said that the feasibility studies would be completed in the next three months.

He was answering a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effiduase Asokore, Hon. Frank Boakye Agyen, who sought to know when electricity supply, through the national grid, will be extended to Bouya, a community in his Constituency.

Hon. Armah-Buah said Bouya community has been earmarked for electrification in the 2016 work plan of the Rural Electrification Project.

"In 2012, six communities in the Sekyere East District were connected to the national grid.

Currently, the Ministry is undertaking electrification projects in six communities in the District while 19 others, including Buoya, have been earmarked for electrification between now and 2016," he said.

The Members of Parliament further urged government to endeavor to put more communities on the national grid to help boost economic activities in the country.