Uíge — The minister of Energy and Waters, João Baptista Borges, announced on Tuesday, Feb 5, in the province of Uíge, the expansion works on the public electricity network, in municipalities in that region without electricity, is set to start between the months of April and May this year.
Out of a total of 23 municipalities, only 3 in that province benefit from public grid electricity are Uíge (headquarters), Negage and Maquela do Zombo.
The official, who was speaking on the sidelines of the celebrations marking the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Armed Struggle for National Liberation, made it known that the process is being coordinated by the Uíge's provincial Govt, at a time when the difficulties that made the beginning of the undertaking unfeasible have already been overcome.
"There was a process of preparing and structuring the financing that took some time, but a financing agreement has already been signed to allow, between April and May of this year, the electrification works in the missing municipalities to be launched", he revealed.
After completing demining and carrying out environmental studies, the minister said there were conditions for the project to start in the near future, with the installation of air lines that will connect the municipalities of Uíge, Negage, Maquela do Zombo to other locations in the region.
Without mentioning the deadline for the works, he only said that the project is included in the 2023/2027 governance agenda.
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The official said that the electrification of the other municipalities in the province of Uíge will bring many gains to the region, especially in agriculture, since it is a potentially agricultural area.
He recognized agriculture as Uíge's strong point and that the expansion of electrical energy will, certainly, not only allow irrigation agriculture, but will also promote the transformation of local products.
The project, budgeted at more than USD 300 million, for the construction of transmission lines and electrical substations, will allow, in the first phase, the supply of electricity to the municipalities of Bembe, Songo, Púri, Mucaba, Damba, Bungo, Quitexe and Ambuíla.
On the other hand, he mentioned that the government expects, by 2027, that 50% of the national population will have access to electricity, at a time when the country has 44% access.
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