Rural areas ‘can have power’

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday October 14th, 2013

 PNG Power Ltd believes many areas in the Gazelle Peninsula of East New Britain can have power supply by 2050 if districts pump more money into rural electrification programmes.

Company New Guinea Islands regional rural services team leader (construction), Ricky Giniginn highlighted this last Friday when speaking of the success of the rural electrification programme in Rabaul district.

Under the public-private partnership arrangement, BTK Constructions had been engaged to rollout the programme in Rabaul district under the district services improvement programme.

He said there were many projects in the Gazelle Peninsula, including Kokopo, Pomio and Gazelle, about 75km of rural electrification still had to be done and not just for Rabaul district.

Giniginn said local contractors engaged under the PPP concept helped to fast-track work and achieve the vision that by 2050, the Gazelle Peninsula would have power.

He said in the four districts, Rabaul was the first that rolled out the project and the company was already seeing the fruits of what had been achieved.

He encouraged administrators in the other districts of Pomio, Gazelle and Kokopo to allocate more money into the programme.

“The togetherness shown by all stakeholders involved, displayed through material procurement, inspection and specification by PPL especially taken on by Rabaul district in its rural electrification programme is a very successful exercise,” Giniginn said.