07
Jan

The Rwanda Energy Group and its subsidiaries staff were urged to multiply their efforts if they are to achieve the company’s set target of connecting all Rwandans within 7 years. Speaking at the end of year meeting at Lemigo Hotel on Friday January 7, 2018, Ron Weiss, the REG Chief Executive Officer urged all staff to work towards achieving the set targets to achieve the company’s ambitions. Weiss also tasked everyone to have a spirit of sacrifice and work hard for the benefit of the company and the country at large. 
 
The meeting objective was to see celebrate achievements in 2017 and set measures keep improving its effectiveness and efficiency in 2018. During the end of year meeting, REG Management and Staff congratulated notable achievements in 2017 and vowed to do more in terms of electricity access, distribution and transmission countrywide in 2018.
 
Some of achievements in the energy sector include, the access to electricity increased to more than  40%. Currently, Rwanda energy Group counts a total of  708,639  customers and will keep increasing  this number by 2500 households every week.
 
In his opening remarks, the Ag. MD EUCL, Armand Zingiro thanked every staff for their efforts rendered to achieve REG’s mission and vision in the year 2017. “2017 was quite a year for all of us at REG. We’ve been through many developments, in corporate governance, power generation, transmission & distribution and we aim high to exceed our expectation in 2018”, Zingiro told the participants.
 
The year 2018 will bring its own challenges but I’m sure by working together, keeping focused on our priorities and putting our customers first we can realize our ambitions” he added.  
 
Morris Kayitare who spoke on behalf of Ag. EDCL MD, said that working in energy sector is quite challenging. But no matter what the circumstances are, staff must not lose sight of company priority: to be strong and financially sustainable companies that put the customer at the heart of everything we do.
 
“The target that we have in the next 7 years requires us to give electrification to more than 500 per day. We need to be more efficient in our planning” he said.
 
During the meeting, one staff member, Mr. Marc Runoro Bizimana, who has been working in the energy sector for 18 years and who going for retirement, was recognized and awarded for the good service he rendered.

Mr. Runoro, second from left, receiving a computer as a reward for his service       
The CEO of Rwanda Energy Group, when addressing participants said that REG targets are set and that a plan is being developed specifying how these targets will be achieved. He thanked all the staff for the support they gave to the management through all the year and highlighted that achievements for the year 2017 are significant.  

“We reduced the losses from 22 to 21 and it is significant in money, we reduced the MV outages dramatically from 530 a week to less than 200 and this is immediately influencing our clients who are getting better supply”, said the CEO.

“Our target is to increase annual connections from 200,000 households a year to 400,000 household a year. We can achieve this by increasing to 300,000 the off-grid solutions”, said the CEO.

 The meeting was officiated by Hon. James Musoni, the Minister of Infrastructure and appreciated recent achievements of REG activities. “REG activities have been improving tremendously and I do commend the staff to continue working hard to achieve 100% electricity access by all Rwandans in 2024’’.  Musoni said.

He however highlighted that there are still challenges which should be addressed. These challenge consist of quality of electricity supply and affordability.