21 of December 2021

Second Meeting of the Uk Project Steering Committee (GEF & GFC)

The second Meeting of the United Projects Steering Committee (GEF & GFC), organized by the national coordination of the UNIDO project, the Energy Directorate of the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Energy and the CENTRAL OFFICE of the UNITED Kingdom, took place on November 23rd, organized by the national coordination of the UNIDO project, by the Energy Directorate of the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Energy and the CENTRAL OFFICE of unido, in the auditorium of the Pestana Hotel on the island of São Tomé with online transmission.

 

The face-to-face session was attended by the Minister of Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Engº Osvaldo de Abreu, the General Director of Natural Resources and Energy, Engº José Bastos, Dr Victor Bonfim in place of the GEF focal point, engº. Lourenço Monteiro and Dr. Fausto Neves, the focal point of the GCF.

 

The meeting, which included people with valences on the topics addressed and development partners, such as UNDP, BM, EIB, SIDS DOCK, ADB, ECREEE, aimed to:

  • Presentation of the progress of the project funded by GEF;
  • Presentation of the new project funded by the GCF called "Institutional capacity building for ER and EE in S.Tomé and Príncipe"
  • Presentation and approval of the GEF and GCF Project Work Plan for 2022.

 

The GEF - Global Environment Facility and the GFC - Green Climate Fund aim to support the activities of the energy sector, in particular those of the Energy Directorate of the Directorate General for Natural Resources and Energy (DE-DGRNE).

 

In the Q&A space, participants questioned the need for complementarity between the activities of the various programs of different donors, a greater capacity to produce electricity to fill the failures of the national electricity grid and greater training of technicians for the renewable energy sector.

 

The national coordinator of the UNIDO projects, Eng. Gabriel Maquengo, assured that the coordination of the projects will do everything within their competences and the activities envisaged, to meet the needs referenced. In addition, it pointed out that it was due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19 that the implementation rate of projects was delayed and the figures foreseen in the budget were not feasible, thus making it impossible to complete the implementation of all planned activities.

 

The implementation of these projects is led by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Natural Resources (MIRN) and involving other institutions such as the Water and Electricity Company (EMAE), the General Regulatory Authority (AGER), the Directorate General for the Environment (DGA), the Regional Secretariat for environment and sustainable development (SRADS), the African Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank (WB),  the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), SIDS-DOCK, INA, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the National Institute for the Promotion of Equality and Gender Equality (INPIEG), TESE, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Services (CCIAS), among others.