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| Sunday, 24 July 2005 |
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Lankan mini-hydro expertise to light up Burundi by Lionel Yodhasinghe The Government of Burundi has invited Sri Lankan experts to develop mini hydro power plant schemes to exploit 300mw of potential power to drive forth its economy under a ten year development plan, Minister of Community Development of Burundi Jean Baptiste Gahimbare told the Sunday Observer. Minister Gahimbare accompanied with Director General of Water Supply and Energy for rural areas in Burundi Ndayitwayeko Fulgence inspected several mini hydro projects in Deraniyagala and Nawalapitiya. Before the signing of the respective agreement he said that he was overwhelmed by the successful operation of Lankan projects and commended the local engineering expertise, worker skills and their commitment. The Minister, en route to Bujumbura will visit Vienna to sign the respective agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in this regard next week. Later, mini hydropower engineering expert and UN Adviser on Rural Electrification Dr. Nishantha Nanayakkara would lead his technical group to start the feasibility study on the first project. Dr.Nanayakkara is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Hydro Power International Ltd, and President of Grid Connected Small Hydro Power Developers Association. The project is scheduled to complete construction by next January. **** Fact file Known as the Switzerland of Africa, Burundi is the highest geographical location in the continent. The land locked former Belgian colony has ended a 10-year civil war with several rebel groups following a peace agreement. The tribal war took more than 300 000 lives and made over a million people, internally displaced or living abroad as refugees, according to the UN. In a recent election, a new government has been formed in alliance with the rebels who are the majority in parliament. Reports reveal that the war has reduced the country into becoming the world's third-poorest country. Even more startling, the government depends on the taxes it gets from beer consumption for more than half of its annual revenue. The peace agreement termed the "Arusha Accord" signed in August 2000 transferred the Presidency from the Tutsi minority to the Hutu majority. In a country that has about 7-million people baHutu makes up 85 percent of the population and the baTutsi the balance 15 percent. Burundi produces the best coffee in the world. Its major natural resources are nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium and hydropower. It produces cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, cassava, beef, milk, hides light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap and light industrial products. |
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