Govt, EU sign $13M deal for rural electricity

MINISTER of planning and Development  Camille Robinson-Regis has signed a $12.95 million financing agreement on behalf of the Government for the second phase of the Rural Electrification Programme. The signing ceremony took place Monday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel between the Minister and Anthony Smallwood, Charge D’Affaires, Delegation of the European Commission. In May 1994, the Government and the European Community entered an agreement to execute the Rural Electrification Programme Phase 1 in at least 48 rural communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago, to supply a connection to 1,250 households and small businesses.

Phase One was fully completed in 1996, under budget, at a cost of $8.6 million. The number of households to which the supply was made available increased from 1,250 to 1,675, or by 34 percent. On evaluation, this programme was found to be highly successful with results that exceeded the targets. In her feature address, Robinson-Regis said: “The total cost to implement Phase 2 of the programme is estimated at $13.37 million; the financing agreement between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the European Commission will provide $12.95 million funded from grant resources of the Ninth European Development Fund. The remaining costs will be met by the provision of voluntary labour by the beneficiaries.” The main objective of Phase 2 is to contribute to poverty reduction in targetted rural communities by improving living conditions of households. This second phase will make available a reliable supply of electricity to about 1,200 households in 90 rural communities. Implementation of the programme will be conducted over two years by TTEC.