KAMPALA, Dec 7, 2005 -- Xinhua

 

Norway has agreed to provide Uganda with over 19 million US dollars to boost its petroleum exploration and electricity transmission up to 2008, according to local press reported on Wednesday.

Two agreements to this effect were signed here on Tuesday in Kampala by Norwegian Ambassador Bjorg S. Leite and Uganda's Permanent Secretary for the Finance Ministry Chris Kassami.

The two agreements are "Strengthening of the State of Administration of Energy sector in Uganda" worth 9.7 million dollars, and "Capacity Building in the UETCL Through a Twinning Arrangement with the Norwegian National Grid Utility Statnett" worth 9.7 million dollars.

On the petroleum exploration, the money will be spent on policy, institutional, legislative framework, capacity building for petroleum exploration, technical and economic studies, petroleum program management and contingency and budget flexibility, financial analysis and other areas.

On electricity, the fund will be spent on strategy and business development, corporate efficiency and budgets, transmission system utilization, management information, project preparation, management and coordination.

According to the agreement, Uganda is to ensure proper accountability for the funds and the Auditor General is to audit the performance of the projects.

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