Government will invest more than $us 10 million in rural electrification to benefit 18 municipalities of Beni

The following is a machine translation of a Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy release

Within the framework of the Sustainable Electricity Access Improvement Program (IDTR III) and with an investment of more than $10 million, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy will implement the rural electrification program that will benefit more than 3,700 homes in 18 municipalities of the department of Beni.

"This program is the result of the efforts and coordination of the central government, the departmental government, the municipal governments, and also of the social organizations - which are the beneficiaries - the indigenous communities and the peoples of the rural areas of Beni," said the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Alejandro Gallardo, highlighting the importance of the execution of the electrification projects.

The Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, the Governor of Beni, Alejandro Unzueta, and Felipe Sánchez, representing the President of the National Electricity Company (ENDE), Manuel Valle, signed an intergovernmental agreement that includes 14 projects that will allow a significant expansion in electricity coverage in the region.

Currently, electricity coverage in rural Beni is at 80%, and with the implementation of these projects it is expected to reach 96%, which will also contribute to increasing overall departmental coverage from 96% to 99%.

The project will be executed by ENDE under the supervision of the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy, in cooperation with the Departmental Government of Beni. This joint work is formalized through an intergovernmental agreement, which establishes the commitments, scope and procedures for the effective implementation of the projects.

It is important to highlight that the IDRT III program projects, financed by the World Bank, are implemented quickly as they do not require counterparties, which will allow the electricity service to reach the communities in an expeditious manner.