More than $ 69 billion pesos approved to carry electric energy, drinking water and basic sanitation for the first time for PDET municipalities in Colombia

This Minenergia release was published using machine translation.

Bogotá, July 22, 2020. Fourteen investment projects worth $ 72 billion pesos for energy, aqueducts and basic sanitation, public lighting and paving, in 9 departments of the country, were approved today in a new virtual session of the OCAD Peace. In the case of projects where the Development Programs with Territorial Focus are executed, PDET, 11 were approved for more than $ 69 billion, thus reaching an investment figure of more than 2.3 billion pesos in the OCAD during the government of President Iván Duke.

"The resources from the royalties from the mining-energy sector are converted into works that transform lives with these investments approved in session 37 of the OCAD Paz, where 9 projects stand out that will bring the electric energy service to more than 3,000 families in rural areas of Arauca, Nariño, Caquetá, Magdalena, Bolívar and Putumayo, "said the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa.

The Presidential Adviser for Stabilization and Consolidation, Emilio Archila specified that this is very good news for vulnerable territories in all the regions where the most vulnerable populations reside, and that they will now have access to basic services that they demanded from long ago.

With these resources it is hoped to accelerate the transformation of the municipalities most affected by violence, poverty, the presence of illicit crops and state absence.

For the director of the General System of Royalties, of the National Planning Department, Álvaro Ávila Silva, "the actions carried out by the secretary general of OCAD Paz demonstrate the commitment of the National Government to the most vulnerable territories in the country. Since this operation began Collegiate Body for Administration and Decision (OCAD), there are about 424 projects that have been approved for the benefit of Colombians living in the 170 PDET municipalities, the challenge will be to continue holding the sessions every 15 days and thus guarantee that the resources of Royalties return to the regions in a more streamlined manner. "

In today's session, for the PDET municipalities, nine rural electric energy projects and two rural aqueduct and basic sanitation projects were approved. These investment sectors were prioritized by the National Government due to the importance they have for the implementation of the Peace with Legality policy.

Below are the projects approved in today's OCAD Paz session:

1. Energy

OCAD Paz approved 9 projects worth $ 55 billion pesos in nine PDET municipalities for solar panel (photovoltaic) systems and construction of electrical distribution networks. Of these projects, six are photovoltaic generation systems and three are distribution networks.

Compared to photovoltaic systems projects, the territorial entities where the projects were approved were: La Tola, Nariño, for 160 families ($ 3,247 million); San José del Fragua, Caquetá, for 413 families ($ 8,332 million); two projects in Aracataca, Magdalena, one for 312 families ($ 6,828 million) and another for 176 families ($ 3,533 million); and also two projects in Putumayo, one for the municipality of Puerto Leguízamo for 74 families ($ 1,497 million) and another for Orito benefiting 300 families ($ 6,026 million).

In the case of the construction of distribution networks to interconnect rural PDET areas, three investment projects were approved. First, a macro project in the Department of Arauca that will connect more than 1,328 rural families in the villages of Tame and the populated center of Puerto Jordán, with an investment of more than $ 20,273 million.

Second, a project that aims to build medium and low voltage networks with pole substations for 166 families in 25 villages in the municipality of Belén De Los Andaquíes, in the department of Caquetá ($ 3,137 million).

Finally, in the municipality of El Carmen de Bolívar, resources ($ 2.51 billion) were approved for the construction of distribution networks that will take this important public service for the first time to the villages of Santo Domingo de Meza and Puerto Mesitas, benefiting 137 families .

2. Water and basic sanitation

Two projects for a value of $ 13,263 million pesos were approved for this sector. The first project refers to the optimization of the conduction and distribution network of the Aqueduct system of the Puerto Claver township, municipality of El Bagre, Antioquia. With the execution of the project it is expected to increase the coverage of the aqueduct system of the Puerto Claver township from 70 to 100%. Likewise, the continuity in the provision of the service will be increased from 16 to 24 hours.

The last PDET project approved refers to the optimization of the aqueduct system and construction of the sanitary sewer system for the township of Nuevo Colón in the municipality of Pueblo Bello. With this project it will be possible to go from 0% coverage of the sewerage system to 100%. For the aqueduct system, the coverage in the township will be increased from 60% to 100%, the supply of drinking water and the provision of the 24-hour service will be guaranteed.

3. Projects other sources of OCAD Paz

In the non-face-to-face session of OCAD Paz, three other projects were approved in the Production Incentive investment source, a stimulus received by the country's municipalities that contribute most to the extraction of non-renewable resources.

These projects were carried out in PDET municipalities. The approved projects refer to the modernization of public lighting to LED luminaires on the way to the municipality of Saravena - Arauca; the construction of a recreational and bio healthy park in the urban area of Morroa - Sucre; and hydraulic concrete paving on urban roads in the Municipality of Puerto Asís - Putumayo.