As a result of this development imbalance, industrial activities that depend on electricity for production are inadequate in number, hence the slow pace of development being experienced over the years in major sectors of the economy that need electricity to thrive.
In view of this, government is connecting 500 communities in the Northern Region to the Turnkey Rural Electrification Project (TREP) this year.
It would be recalled that, President John Evans Atta Mills, in April last year cut sod for commencement of work on the Northern Regional Turnkey Electrification Project. He indicated that the government had secured a US$120 million loan facility from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to improve on the current 43.52 electricity access rate.
Although the project suffered some delays following the sod-cutting, government said its aim was to complete 5 communities in each of the 20 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) by the end of September, 2012 and the total of 500 communities in the next four years.
Alhaji Abdulai Inusah Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Constituency announced in Tamale, when he formally introduced the contractor responsible for the project execution, Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation of China, to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the MMDAs and other stakeholders.
According to him, it was the resolve of government in the medium term, to raise the accessibility rates of electricity supply to the three Northern Regions nearer to the national average of 72%, adding that, the project together with 76 communities with works ongoing under the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP) and scheduled to be completed in December 2012 would do exactly that.
He said the project was anticipated to benefit about 484,000 households in the 20 MMDAs in the region and create in its wake 30 permanent jobs and 200 temporary ones. “The beneficiary communities however must be the ears and eyes of the Ministry during the execution of this project. Do not hesitate to bring to the attention of the Ministry anything you suspect to be untoward. Our common motivation in this exercise should be that we must get value for money”, he stressed.
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini however emphasised that the local content component of the Project, which required that at least 30% of the employees where indigenes was adhered to and not compromised saying “The Ministry of Energy’s advise therefore to Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation is to ensure that Ghanaians, particularly the indigenes of the North become involved in the execution of this contract.”
He stated categorically that there would be no compensation issue in the implementation of the Project and asked the MMDCEs to collaborate with the contractor to resolve all problems that might come up.
The Deputy Minister of Energy also disclosed that the approved service connection fees to be paid by prospective customers was GH¢ 0.58p for a single phase connection and GH¢ 1.16p for a 3- phase connection and warned against the collection of unapproved fees.
Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba, urged the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to consult with the communities and other stakeholders to find out their views on the electrification project to ensure its smooth implementation.
He acknowledged the high competence and skill of the contractor and hoped that he would execute a very good job in the region.
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