Close to 6000 households around the country which had been without electricity till now, will have electricity connections by 2020.

In the 2017-2018 Budget, $42.6million has been allocated for the rural electrification projects. This will include extending the Fiji Electricity Authority gridlines to communities that currently do not have access to electricity.

For the Grid Extension Projects, $29,085,536 has been allocated which will see 3396 households in the Central (614), Western (1276) and Northern (1506) divisions light up.

And for house wiring, $2million has been allocated.

For households which are outside of the FEA grid, programmes to install solar home systems have been set up. From this 2600 households in Western (680), Northern (855) and Eastern (1065) Divisions will benefit. This will cost $10.4 million which has been budgeted for by the Government.

$1.1million has also been allocated to maintain and purchase spare parts for previously installed solar home systems.

“Government will continue with its investments to ensure that all Fijians have access to electricity by 2020. Government is funding the rural electrification project at around $33.8 million, an increase of around $19 million. This will cater for some 144 grid extensions by FEA. It will benefit nearly 2204 households and include installation of 76 solar home systems,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

Government has also restructured the way in which the electricity subsidy will be given. All households with an annual income below $30,000 will be eligible for subsidy for the first 100 kilowatt hours of electricity usage per month.

“The current regulation sets the limit at 95 kilowatt hours, and users are denied their subsidy if they exceed that usage even slightly. This new approach will be fairer to larger households and eliminate a great deal of uncertainty because the subsidy is guaranteed no matter how much power is used.”

If a household earns $30,000 a year is using 100 kilowatt hours of electricity, the bill would be cut in half, from $34 to $17 a month. Anything above 100 kilowatts will attract the full rate. Through this scheme more Fijian households will receive subsidised electricity. JYOTI PRATIBHA

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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