Managing Director of GRENLEC Vernon Lawrence disclosed this last Thursday to members of the media at a press conference held at the company's Distribution Department on Dusty Highway in the south of the island.

Lawrence pointed out that there were some major factors that contributed to the company not reaching its 80 per cent target by January. He pointed to heavy rains, the early withdrawal of some regional electricity companies, delays in the transportation from overseas of reconstruction items and illness of its own linesmen.

According to Lawrence, these factors were largely responsible for the utility company attaining only 70 percent of the promised electrification of the country. The GRENLEC boss admitted that the presence in Grenada of close to one hundred overseas linesmen were very critical in assisting with the restoration of electricity in the country.

Lawrence announced that a group of 30 Cubans have returned to the island to give further assistance, and that GRENLEC was in negotiations with other countries for more assistance. He said that Jamaica, St. Vincent and St. Lucia have all shown interest in giving assistance, but added that the level of assistance which the company received last year will not be forthcoming this time around.

GRENLEC is confident that with its 120 work force that a lot can be done if effectively deployed. Lawrence told reporters that the second phase of the Electricity Restoration Plan requires more manual work and will be more time consuming, because of the amount of High Voltage and Low Voltage lines to be worked on in the remote areas.

He also said that GRENLEC is working diligently to restore electricity to persons who have not yet received power. He added that the second phase of the project will focus on residential customers, unlike the first phase which concentrated mainly on commercial and industrial customers. Hurricane Ivan lashed Grenada on September 7 and left most of the country without electricity.