Salone gets $25 million - 10 mega watts generator

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Momodu Koroma Thursday December 21,2006 revealed in an interview with this press that the newly constituted United Nations Peace Building Commission has approved US$25 million for Sierra Leone , whilst the Moroccan government has agreed to provide 10 mega watts generator for Freetown. Dr Koroma who has just returned from the Second Country Specific Meeting of the Peace Building Commission, held in New York , United States, said the gesture to Sierra Leone from the Commission is borne out of the fact that Sierra Leone has over the last four years made significant progress in consolidating the peace.We are particularly pleased to note that the October meeting in which the Government's position was articulated by the Hon. Vice President Solomon Ekuma Berewa agreed on key priority areas and crystallized a process with clear goals, Dr Koroma referenced his presentation at the just concluded meeting. He disclosed that his government has also embarked on a rigorous process of identifying critical areas of intervention or gaps, which are considered vital for the consolidation of peace in the short term.Koroma while conversing on the current state of electricity supply to the city said the ongoing work at the National Power Authority by the Moroccans is no cost to the Sierra Leone government.President Kabbah earlier had a meeting with the King of Morocco in Saudi Arabia in which they discussed bilateral cooperations in various fields. One of which was electricity. Subsequently I visited Morocco as a special envoy of President Kabbah to the King of Morocco. It was in that meeting that the King approved that the Morocco Electricity Cooperation should come and assist Sierra Leone with electricity. This was followed by a 26 man-team of Moroccan experts who are now doing repairs on the existing machinery as well as the distribution system and the streets lights at no cost to the Sierra Leone government, Dr. Koroma said.He assured that very soon a contract for an approved additional emergency power of 10 mega watts due early 2007 for Freetown will be signed between Sierra Leone and Morocco .Koroma noted that he also initiated the negotiations for the supply and installation of the South African, Eskom Mireless generator.

Source: Concord Times Newspaper ...Sierra Leone, West Africa : Online newspaper