Annual Report 2008 - Ministry of Finance and Planning

6. A Sectoral Perspective
253
Empowering the Rural Economy
Access to Electricity
82 percent of households are electrified with grid connected
electricity whilst 3 percent are served by off-grid facilities
such as mini hydro, solar, wind and dendro power etc. Yet,
the regional gap in supplying electricity still exists. The
average electricity coverage in urban and rural areas is
about 80-85 percent and 50-60 percent respectively.
A substantial amount of investment has been made over the
years to enhance the supply of electricity to the envisaged
level of 90 percent from the national grid and twice the off
–grid supply by 2010. To narrow down the gap between
the urban and rural electricity coverage, an allocation of
Rs. 4,953 million was provided for rural electrification
projects in 2008.
4,997 rural electrification schemes were completed in 2008
which raised the total electrified households in the country,
to 82 precent. These schemes were implemented under
rural electrification project 6 & 7, Gama Neguma, Rajarata
Navodaya and funds provided under the De-centralized and
Provincial Council Budgets.
In 2008, “Lighting Sri Lanka” project was implemented
covering Hambantota, Moneragala, Kegalle, Ratnapura and
Trincomalee districts in order to improve transmission and
distribution network in respective rural areas.
Table 6.17
Rural Electrification Schemes Completed in 2007 & 2008
Area
Number of Schemes
Completed
2007 2008
Southern 914 936
North Central 589 589
Central 1143 1,164
Uva 138 150
West -South 317 324
West -North 170 177
Eastern 407 414
Sabaragamuwa 601 583
North- Western 626 629
Northern 27 31
Total 4,932 4,997
Source: Ministry of Power & Energy
Box 6.2
Electricity: Energizing Growth
It is the long term vision of the electricity sector to provide a
reliable and sustainable supply of electricity with the least
cost and environmental safeguards to the entire population
of the country. The high priority is placed upon increasing in
power generation, distribution, and reduction of transmission
losses in the electricity sector to realize this goal.
Electricity and GDP highly co-related.
Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka
Annual Report 2008