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The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group announced on Wednesday,
June 8 the approval of €16.7 million (a €9-million loan and a
€7.7-million grant) in financing toward a program which aims to
strengthen the electricity distribution network in Guinea Bissau's
capital by rehabilitating the facilities of 31,000 existing subscribers;
connecting 10,500 new subscribers; and improving the commercial
management and governance of the public utility, the National
Electricity and Water Corporation (company named EAGB).
Only 20 percent of the country's residents in Bissau have access to
electricity. The electricity distribution network in the capital is
weak, with almost half all electricity generated lost due to aging
infrastructure, illegal connections and irregular billing. In addition,
load shedding occurs regularly with more than 20 hours of interruptions
per day in some areas. Finally, insufficient revenues and financial
difficulties of EAGB makes it difficult for the public utility to
properly manage the maintenance of the electrical installations.
Speaking about the announcement, Alex Rugamba, AfDB Director of
Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, said, "At present,
the city relies upon one rehabilitated generator and rental generators
to provide its current 10 megawatt capacity, which is a third of the
city's current need. The AfDB-supported Bissau City Power Supply
Improvement Program will enable beneficiaries to further develop their
social and income-generation activities; improve the city's drinking
water supply; ensure the smooth functioning of social services; and
increase urban security through additional lighting of streets and
homes."
Specifically, the three-year program aims to reduce the number of
daily power outages in Bissau related to the poor state of the
distribution network from 22 to less than 2; reduce the overall
technical and commercial rate of loss in Bissau from 47 to 20 percent;
and strengthen the commercial management and governance of the EAGB.
Aligned with the Government of Guinea Bissau's electricity sector
investment and capacity building strategy, the program is also being
financed by the European Investment Bank and the Government of Guinea
Bissau.
Fonte: Allafrica
