The governments of Japan and Sierra Leone have exchanged notes in Accra, Ghana, through the Japanese ambassador to Ghana, Masamichi Ishikawa, and Madam Nasratha Baki Remoe–Doherty of the Sierra Leone High Commission there for the urgent improvement of electric supply in Freetown and its environs.
The Japanese ambassador noted that the government of Japan in August 2005 received an application for assistance from the government of Sierra Leone in order to enable it purchase the services necessary for the detailed design for the execution of phase two of the project which would extend the capacity of the Kingtom power station, adding that proper energy supply is vital to the daily lives of any society.
He added that, “the current government of Sierra Leone is giving high priority to the improvement of energy and power supplies for promoting pro-poor sustainable growth”.
He maintained that, “once this project has been completely implemented by the National Power Authority and the ministry of Energy and Power with assistance from Japanese experts, the generating capacity of the main power station will have been increased enough to meet the needs of the people who rely on it both for domestic and industrial use, economic activities, and the safety situation will greatly increase with the provision of street lights.”
Ambassador Masamichi Ishikawa noted that, “the government of Japan therefore believes that post-war development and security in Sierra Leone cannot succeed without providing energy to the people”.
Sierra Leone’s resident officer of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr Katsuya Kuge, disclosed in an interview with Awoko that construction of the Regent sub-station and a distribution line between the Regent sub-station and the Wilberforce Station was in the process of tendering and would begin shortly.
He adding that, “it is doubtful that Japan or any of the developed countries in the world today, would have been able to develop rapidly or effectively without a stable and reliable source of power”, and advised the All People’s Congress (APC) government to use the Japanese grant for its intended purposes.
Madam Nasratha Baki Remoe–Doherty, in charge of the Sierra Leone High Commission in Ghana, expressed thanks and appreciation to the people of Japan for their numerous supports to the people of Sierra Leone.
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