K20mil power project to benefit over 30,000 people

The National National
Bananas to be given as part of the gifts among other gifts from the locals to their guests after the event. – Nationalpic by YVONNE KAMBIBEL

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
MORE than 30,000 people will benefit from a K20 million electricity project under PNG Power Ltd’s rural on grid extension project in Central, says Rigo MP Lekwa Gure.
The beneficiaries are from the Rigo Coastal local level government.
The commissioning of the project was held yesterday at Kamali village.
“Fifteen villages from Galomarupu to Hula will now have electricity in their homes,” Gure said.
He said electricity was a basic need and thanked the New Zealand government for its assistance and PNG Power Ltd for the technical support.
Gure said the villagers of Alukuni, Keapara and Karawa would get their supply next.
PNG Power’s acting general manager for sustainable business development and government relations, Mairawesi Pulayasi, urged the people to take ownership of “these resources”.
“Take good care of them as these resources are very expensive to build and fix,” he said.
Pulayasi said connecting electricity to every household in PNG would not be achieved by PNG Power alone, which needed the support of district and provincial administrations.
Student Renagi Sam said they could now study and complete their homework at night.
New Zealand High Commissioner Philip Taula thanked all the partners for making the Hula electrification project a success.
He said along with Japan, the United States and Australia, New Zealand was keen to support the PNG government’s goal of providing electricity to 70 per cent of families by 2030.