Ofoase (Ash), Feb 4, GNA - Dr Joseph Oteng-Adjei, the Energy Minister, has pledged the resolve of the Mills Administration to ensure that about 80 per cent of the country's population enjoys electricity within the next four years.

In line with this, a loan facility had been secured from the

ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to extend

power to 106 communities in Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions this

year. Available figures show that about 72 per cent of Ghanaians have

access to electricity, ranking the nation among the best in Africa in

terms of energy supply. The Minister was inaugurating an electrification project at Ofoase,

a predominantly farming community in the Ejisu-Juaben

Municipality. It was funded with a 8010 million facility that is benefiting 83 other

communities in Ashanti and the Eastern regions. He said their goal is to promote safe and reliable energy supply to

grow the productive sectors of the economy to create more jobs

and reduce poverty. The country has come a long way from the early 1990s when only

15 per cent of the population was connected to the national

electricity grid. Mr Teteh Okyne, Director of Operations, Electricity Company of

Ghana (ECG), urged the people to avoid waste in the use of

electricity and make sure that they pay their bills on time. They should also help to expose those who engage in illegal power

connection and bring them to justice. Mr Kwabena Owusu-Adoumi, Ejisu-Juaben Member Parliament

(MP), asked the people to take advantage of the facility to establish

small businesses.