Paraguay’s Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs Discusses Projects to Strengthen Electrical Infrastructure

(Editorial: Press – Communication Department). The Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, chaired by Deputy Hugo Meza (ANR-Cordillera), met with the president of the National Electricity Administration, Eng. Félix Sosa, who was consulted on the scope of the different projects to strengthen Paraguay’s electrical infrastructure, considering that they require, for their implementation, the approval of study loan contracts in the Chamber of Deputies.

In this regard, the head of the advisory body affirmed his commitment to accompany these projects, considering that it is necessary to establish mechanisms to attract investment and promote the development of our country.

The parliamentarian mentioned that the annual growth in consumption requires a significant strategy that serves to expand the electrical infrastructure. He reported that one of them connects the entire western region and is linked, in turn, with the Cordillera-Valenzuela transmission line.

“They fully illustrated what each work is about, what the benefits are, and what we would lose if we don’t do the works; They are investments that are needed for the construction of distribution networks to be able to use, finally, all our energy”, explained the head of the advisory body.

One of the projects analyzed is the one that obtained an approval report, taking into account that it was included in the order of this week’s ordinary session.

This is the bill, with partial sanction of the Chamber of Senators, “Approving the agreement for the establishment of a conditional credit line for investment projects (CCLIP) PR 00004, and the loan contracts signed between the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for an amount of up to seventy million United States dollars (USD 70,000,000.-), on August 18, 2021, and with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for an amount of up to nine thousand two hundred and ninety-four million Japanese yen (¥ 9,294,000,000.-), on August 18, 2021, and the guarantee contract between the Republic of Paraguay and the IDB, for the financing of the project “Expansion of the high-voltage transmission system and energy efficiency actions”, in charge of the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), and extends the General Budget of the Nation for fiscal year 2021, approved by Law No. 6672/21 of January 9, 2021”.

Other projects were also analyzed, such as the one that approves loan contracts No. 31003, signed on December 29, 2022, between the National Electricity Administration (ANDE) and the Kreditanstalt FurWiederaufbau (KFW), for an amount of up to USD 75,00,000; and the loan contract signed on March 10, 2023, between Ande and the Financial Fund for the Development of the La Plata Basin (FONPLATA), for an amount of up to USD 45,000,000.

Also the guarantee contracts between the Republic of Paraguay, KFW and FONPLATA, for the financing of the ‘Project for the construction of the 220 Kv transmission line Villa Hayes – Villa Real – Pozo Colorado – Loma Plata, and the 220 Kv Pozo Colorado substation, in the Western Region’, in charge of ANDE.