Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - The Minister of Energy, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom on Wednesday said about 600 communities throughout the country have been earmarked to be supplied with electricity by the middle of next year. He said the various communities are therefore encouraged to procure their low-tension (LT) poles as their contribution under the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP) to enable work to begin in those areas. Dr Nduom said this in Parliament when Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu, NDC- Nanton, asked the Minister to provide a comprehensive list of all outstanding SHEP-Three Projects in the Northern Region and to indicate when work would be completed on those projects.

He said the inability of most of the communities in the Northern Region to procure the low-tension poles had delayed the third phase of the SHEP programme there.

Dr Nduom said the Ministry, however, intended to complete the works by March 2004 depending on the availability of the poles to be supplied by the communities.

He said the contractors were available to resume work as soon as the communities provided the poles; when Alhaji Yakubu asked about the actual role of the contractors in the areas.

The Minister said five of the SHEP-Three Phase-Three projects in the Tamale and Yendi Districts have been completed while the projects in the other Districts have reached various stages.

Work on most of the high-tension poles have reached advanced stages of between 45 per cent and 100 per cent in the districts but the erection of the low-tension poles had been absent in some communities while other communities had reached between 0 to 75 per cent. Some of the communities also had their poles at site but not erected while some of them were sub-standard.

Mr M.A. Seidu, NDC- Wa Central, questioned the role of the contractors in the communities where low-tension poles were available but the work had not begun and the Minister said the communities would be assisted to erect the poles.

Dr Nduom urged Members of Parliament and the District Assemblies to educate communities to understand their responsibility of providing the poles for the execution of the projects.

Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, NDC- Upper West Akim, asked whether the Ministry was encountering any problems with the supply of electric meters and the Minister said there were enough meters.

Mr Mohammed Jagri, NDC- Zabzugu/Tatale, asked about the position of communities not covered in the Phase Three of the SHEP Programme and the Minister said some of the communities had been catered for in the Second Phase and they would be supplied in due course.

Prince Oduro-Mensah, NPP-Techiman South asked what steps the Ministry had to ensure that consultants of the project played their supervisory roles. The Minister said officials of the Ministry would undertake periodic and routine supervision of projects since the periodic reports by consultants and contractors had not been effective.

In a related development, Mrs Edith Hazel, NDC- Evalue-Gwira, on behalf of Mrs Comfort Owusu, NDC-Mfantsiman East, asked the Minister what plans the Ministry had for replacing the transformer serving the communities at Ekumfi, Saarfa Poano and Ekumfi Swedru/Akwaakrom, that broke down a year ago.

Dr Nduom said Ekumfi Saarfa was connected to the national electricity grid in 2000 but two transformers got damaged in January and December 2002 and arrangements were made for their replacement and power supply had since been restored.

He said Ekumfi Swedru was connected to the national grid in 2002 but the 50 kilowatts transformer failed not long after commissioning and the Ministry then released another one but it also developed a fault later.

Dr Nduom said the Ministry had, therefore, advised the Electricity Company of Ghana to carry out a technical assessment of the network for appropriate measures to be taken before a new transformer was installed. Major Samuel Amponsah (rtd), NDC- Mpohor Wassa East, in another question on behalf of Mr Jacob Arthur asked when the Ministry of Energy would commence the SHEP-Four programme in the Mfantseman West Constituency.

The Minister said the communities in the Mfantseman District that had been captured under the SHEP-Four programme but did not fall under first phase would be considered in line with the implementation schedule when the necessary funding was secured.

Maj. Amponsah asked the Minister what measures the Ministry had for communities that had threatened not to vote in the forthcoming general election if they were not provided with electricity supply and the Minister said arrangements were being made to supply them.

Mr Samuel Adu-Yeboah, NPP-Agona East, asked whether the Ministry was not following the programme meant for the various phases of the project and the Minister said there were detailed programmes that were being followed but inadequate funds was delaying the projects.

Mr Alex Korankye, NPP- Asante Akim South, asked the Minister how much was required to complete the various phases of the SHEP programme and Dr Nduom said preliminary estimates suggested that 200 million dollars would be needed for the projects but so far 15 million dollars have been secured from the Exim Bank of India.

Mr Abraham Baidoo, NDC- Twifu/Heman/Lower Denkyira, asked that communities that were unable to provide funds for the procurement of the low-tension poles be assisted with the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) funds to do so, the Minister said there were no immediate plans for that.

Mr Brandford Adu, NPP-Okere, asked what mechanisms the Ministry had to check contractors, who stole electric cables and transformers after they had completed their projects and the Minister said the Ministry was not aware of that but said there would be a scheme to reconcile all materials supplied for the SHEP programme.