Our Reporter
The Rwanda Energy Group (REG) has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving its targets of providing reliable and uninterrupted electricity to all Rwandans.
This was announced on Friday at REG headquarters during an official handover ceremony between the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maximilien Byilingiro, and the outgoing CEO, Eng. Armand Zingiro, who was recently appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Col. Claudien Bizimungu, attended the ceremony, the Chairperson of REG’s Board of Directors, Dr. Didacienne Mukanyirigira, as well as other senior REG officials.
During the handover, the new CEO pledged to fully implement programs aimed at expanding electricity access and achieving the targets set by both REG and the Government of Rwanda to ensure universal electricity coverage across the country.
In his remarks, Eng. Maximilien Byilingiro expressed gratitude to President Paul Kagame for entrusting him with the new responsibility. He emphasized that his priority will be to advance the objectives outlined in the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), recognizing the critical role of electricity in national development and Rwanda’s ambition to provide all citizens with reliable and uninterrupted power.
“We will work tirelessly to ensure that the country’s goals and commitments to provide electricity access to all citizens are achieved. That is the direction in which we will focus our efforts. We understand that citizens are eager to have reliable and uninterrupted electricity services, and we will do everything possible to increase the number of households connected to the power grid,” he said.
Eng. Byilingiro also called for strong collaboration among all stakeholders to enhance performance, increase productivity, and contribute to the country’s overall socio-economic development.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Eng. Armand Zingiro, urged employees and management to continue working closely together to safeguard the progress already made in the energy sector and further improve performance.
“We still have a significant task ahead to achieve the goals set under the government’s NST2 development agenda. A considerable number of Rwandans are yet to gain access to electricity, and therefore all of us must work together effectively to ensure that this target is achieved,” he said.
Dr. Didacienne Mukanyirigira, Chairperson of REG’s Board of Directors, who presided over the ceremony, stated that REG continues to be commended for its strong performance in the management of public resources, as reflected in its clean audit record. She also tasked the newly appointed REG Chief Executive Officer with maintaining and building on this achievement.
REG announced that it has so far connected electricity to more than 2.9 million households (2,900,000) across Rwanda. The institution aims to achieve 100 percent electricity access for all Rwandans by 2029.
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