Brazil’s "Light for All" program will provide electricity for more three million Brazilian this year, according to the Program’s National Director, José Ribamar Santana.
The North region will be given special attention. In 2005, the program benefited 2.15 million people.
Santana emphasized that due to the region’s difficult access, population distribution and climatic issues, it took longer for the Program to be implemented there.
"However, we have already set all the conditions and all contracts are practically ready. We believe 2006 will be a very good year for the Amazon region", he said.
According to Santana, the expectation is that, until 2008, the Program Light for All will have provided electric power to each and every person that still does not have access to it.
In 2005, the "Light for All" program benefited 2.15 million people, most in the Northeast region of the country, where over one million people had their access to electricity improved.
According to Santana, there were installed 700,000 poles and enough energy cables that could go twice around the Earth. Plus, the operation generated 80,000 direct jobs.
He recalled that, in 2004, when the program began, there were over 10 million people without access to electricity. The expectation for 2008, when the program will end, is to bring this number down to zero.
Presidential Chief of Staff (ministra da Casa Civil), Dilma Rousseff, has announced that beginning in May the government will accept tender offers for the construction of six new hydroelectric power plants.
Rousseff reported that two of the plants will be on the Madeira River (the Amazon River’s main tributary) and the other four will be Mauá (361 MW), state of Paraná; Dardanelos (261 MW), state of Mato Grosso; Barra do Pomba (80 MW), state of Rio de Janeiro; and Cambuci (50MW), also in Rio de Janeiro.
Agência Brasil