Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-01-06

“Ratama Eliyai - Andura Duralai”- Implementation of the Programme of 'National Electricity Endowment'

- 100% of electrification coverage has been established in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota under the Rural Electrification Projects. An electrification coverage of nearly 90% or more also has been established in all the other districts. The target of the Government is to achieve 100% electrification coverage in the country by 2016. However, it has been revealed that about 200,000 houses have not yet obtained electricity connection, though the access to electricity is available. The main reason identified in this regard is the economic incapacity of the house owners to meet the initial expenditure involved in obtaining the electricity connections. Since the electricity is an essential factor to uplift the standard of living of the people and to improve the education of the children of low income families, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, to provide loan facilities with the housing units with no electricity connections, subject to a maximum of Rs.40,000/- to obtain electricity connections to the said houses and to obtain funds required for the purpose from the Samurdhi Development Bank, was approved by the Cabinet.