Agreement (Energy)
Story: Alice Aryeetey
THE Ministry of Energy has signed an agreement with three local manufacturing companies for the supply of GH¢80,000,000 worth of electrical cables and conductors for the implementation of the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP).
The three local companies are Tropical Cables and Conductor Limited, Reroy Cables Limited and Nexans Kabelmetal (Gh) Limited.
Those who signed the agreement were Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, the sector minister, who signed on behalf of the ministry; Mr J.B. Quartey Papafio, for Reroy cables; Mr Martin Borovsky and Mr Aaron Sagoe, for Nexans Kabelmetal (Gh) Limited; and Mr Tony Oteng Gyasi, for Tropical Cables.
 The extension of electricity infrastructure is the major objective of the government’s poverty reduction and growth agenda to support the operation of productive ventures, social projects and activities, especially in the rural areas.
It is anticipated that the extension of electricity would be a source of accelerated growth, poverty reduction and general prosperity to the people of Ghana.
According to  Dr Oteng-Adjei, the active involvement of Ghanaians in the extension of electricity to rural areas through local content and participation would help create jobs.
That, he said, would also be a great source of income for jobless young graduates from the polytechnics and universities.
The National Electrification Scheme (NES), which is the vehicle for attaining the government’s major objective, commenced in 1990, with the aim of extending the reach of reliable electricity supply to all parts of the country over a 30-year period.
The SHEP was put on board to complement the NES to ensure that communities are connected to the national  grid provided the communities fall within 20 km radius of an existing medium voltage (MV) network, among other things.
Dr Oteng-Adjei stated that 789 communities in the regions had ongoing projects to be completed under the programme.
“The project is being funded by a credit facility from the Trust Bank, and the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), another local entity expected to supply molten aluminium that will be used for the manufacture of these cables,” he said.
The three companies were urged to seize the opportunity to prove to all that given the chance Ghanaian companies could deliver timeously and at competitive prices.
The minister said if it was discovered that the conductors and cables for the project were not made by the companies in Ghana, legal proceedings would be taken against them and their contract terminated.
The representatives of the three companies expressed their gratitude to the government and the Ministry of Energy, and assured the people of Ghana that they would produce good cables.