A dissemination workshop on the South-South Experience Exchange Trust Fund (SSEETF) was held today at Nalahiya Hotel Conference Hall.

This workshop is the final activity of the exchange programme that was initiated in January 2011. The overall objective of the whole exercise was to develop the sector and to share experiences from renewable energy projects carried out in small islands states and its possibility to replicate in others. The opening remark was given by Minister of State for Housing and Environment Dr. Mohamed Shareef. In his address he highlighted the Maldives vulnerability with respective to the oil dependency. State Minister concluded his address by noting the president’s efforts to become carbon neutral by 2020.

In this final dissemination workshop Mr. Lalith Gunaratne the World Bank consultant to this project gave the participants a snapshot of the whole programme. Mr. Awjad Musthafa from Maldives Energy Authority provided overall energy sector highlights and the major lesson learnt from the two filed visit to Philippines islands, Re-union Island and virtual conference with Jamaica.

During the breakout sessions participants discussed on governance of the sector, legal framework, financial mechanism, innovative renewable energy technologies and institutional framework for the whole sector.

The participants of the workshop are technical experts of the Government, private companies, relevant line ministries and Utilities Companies. The whole programme is funded by World Bank.