LUSAKA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has given Zambia 26.5 million U.S. dollars towards the acceleration of electricity to rural areas, the country's agency responsible for rural electrification said on Monday.
The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) said the funds will go towards helping households in rural areas get connected to the national grid under a subsidized program called Electricity Services Access Project.
Geoffrey Musonda, REA chief executive officer, said the project, which runs from 2017 to 2022, will benefit 22,000 low-income households and 1,000 small and medium enterprises, with direct beneficiaries estimated at 115,000.
He said despite the organization putting up electricity infrastructure in rural areas, uptake has been difficult due to high connection fees.
He told reporters during a press briefing that the organization decided to engage the government for a subsidized program after evidence showed that many people in rural areas had problems with connection fees.
The official said funding from the government for its program of providing electricity to rural areas has been erratic as it requires 50 million dollars annually for its rural electrification master plan.
The plan, mooted in 2008, was aimed at connecting 50 percent of rural population to the national grid by 2030.
"We have received a credit facility from the World Bank which will go a long way in helping reach the target. This project will also help in improving livelihoods of people in rural areas," he said.
Figures show only 25 percent of the urban population in Zambia has access to electricity while in rural areas access was at 3 percent.
