Davao City (12 August) -- The much-awaited construction of Maramag Bunawan 230 kilovolt transmission lines will now proceed as planned with the restoration of the capital expense ceiling of all projects in Mindanao worth US $850 million.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. president Atty. Bienvenido Cariaga in an interview yesterday said that no less than National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) president Dr. Allan Ortiz informed them of the good news on Wednesday at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Cariaga said that according to Ortiz, ,the move to restore the maximum capex ceiling was a decision of the government as President Arroyo is concerned with the welfare of the business community and the people of Southern Mindanao.

The Maramag Bunawan 230 Kv TL has a fund requirement of US $42 M.

Cariaga said the chamber is very thankful to the swift action taken by the President after their group lobbied for the restoration of the budget.

"The chamber is thankful for the President as she acted with dispatch on the request as she had in mind that business in Mindanao will go on uninterrupted," he said.

"The restoration of the US $850 capex was among the last official act of former finance secretary Cesar Purisima," Ortiz said.

Ortiz told them that without the Maramag-Bunawan 230 Kv TL there will be not enough power supply by 2007.

But Ortiz also assured them that in the meantime that the work is underway the region will be supported by power barges that will be deployed in the cities of Davao and General Santos.