By M.A. Egge
The President of the Republic of Somaliland, H.E. Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Berbera Electricity Supply and Expansion Project, greatly needed by people of Berbera, a coastal city with a hot climate that has often complained about the lack of enough electricity.
The President and a large delegation he leads were on their second day in the region on a working trip to the city of Berbera that is focusing on infrastructural development.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the electricity project for the community was attended by various top government officials and the Sahil region’s administration, respected traditional leaders and many other distinguished guests.
The Berbera City Electricity Supply and Expansion Project is a support to Somaliland by the World Bank, and will cost twenty million dollars ($20 million).
The project will be a significant contribution to the development of electricity in the city of Berbera and its environs.
The Mayor of Berbera and the Governor of Sahil Region who first spoke at the venue noted that the project would greatly contribute to the city’s electricity needs, as the residents will soon receive cheaper and quality electricity.
They said that the government is giving special priority to the economic development of the city of Berbera, and they congratulated the President on the implementation of the milestone project, fulfilling one of his major campaign promises on precisely cheaper electricity for the port city.
The Minister of Mines and Energy gave details about the project and said that it was to expand and improve the electricity supply in Berbera.
He said that the project included 12MW solar energy and 36MW storage, hence pointing out one of the pledges of the Head Of State was being fulfilled.
The President, while officially launching the project said that, “We do not want our campaign promises to be falsehoods but we are being true to our words”.
“We campaigned on the platform that we would focus on reducing the electricity bills of this port city to 2000 Sl.Shs or so, per watt, and today we are herein convictional that the government will live up to its expectation, come July”.
Thus, the WADDANI administration government dubbed “Togetherness and Action”, with its core focused on development and progress, has once again lived up to its expectations, given its words of pledges, with its actions towards tangible economic development palpitated and cherished by the populaces.