Minister announces complete rural electrification in 2010

Moroccan Energy and Mining Minister Youssef Tahiri announced Wednesday that all rural areas will receive electricity by 2010.

Speaking at the house of representatives (lower chamber of parliament), the minister said 63% of rural areas will be connected to electricity by 2003 and 80% by 2006. Investments projected for the 1996-2006 period amount to $1.2 billion (12 billion dirhams).

In the northern Moroccan regions, he said the ministry has scheduled to electrify a total of 1,146 villages between 1996 and 2000 for an investment of $116 million (1.16 billion dirhams) with the help of the Interior Ministry and the agency for the development of northern regions.

He added that his department is working on a project to be carried out between 2000 and 2004 for the electrification of 1,370 villages for a cost of $150 million (1.5 bln dh).