THT-The Ministry of Energy and Minerals held a workshop on the investiture for rural Areas Solar Electrification Projects at Hotel Mansoor.
This is part and parcel of Somaliland Electricity Access Project (SEAP) hence in particular Somaliland Off-Grid Solar Grant facility.
In essence the programme which has been sponsored by the World Bank has the ministry as its facilitator through Dahabshiil Bank.
The workshop hopes to highlight to the stakeholders on the project that seeks to fund them in solar electrification to the rural areas.
While opening the workshop the Minister Hon Jama Mohamoud Egal noted that the project was a pilot scheme being done for the first time in the country.
He pointed out the fact that Somaliland was perceived to be the country with the most expensive electricity, hence the scheme was tailored to cut the costs for the people, given that it was fuel generators.
He noted that the project brings the stakeholders and specially the line commission which was established recently to streamline the services in the sector.
On his part the Deputy Finance Minister Hon. Musa Ibrahim Salaf reminded the participants that industrialization can never kick-off without electricity.
He took the opportunity to thank the World Bank for the grant and other associated sectors for the collaboration.
Other speakers at the venue were the Chairman of the National Energy Commission Mr Ahmed Farah Adare and the Director General of the Ministry Mr Mohamed Yusuf Ismail.
Meanwhile, the mineral department has started a three week course for 13 geologist focusing GIS and remote sensing.
It is conducted by among others Dr Abdo Said al Maqtari.
It is worth noting that the Energy and Minerals Minister Hon Jama M. Egal has been on official tour to Egypt at the invitation of his counterpart Hon Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, with whom several aspects of cooperation in the sector were agreed upon.
By M.A. Egge