About 1,000 people in Buca and Tiliva to get electricity by 2025 as Japan gives $6.8m grant

About 1,000 people living in Buca Village in Vanua Levu and Tiliva Village in Kadavu will have electricity by 2025 as the Japanese Government has given a grant of about $6.8 million for the Rural Electrification Support Project.

While speaking during the grant signing ceremony between the Ministry of Finance and Asian Development Bank which will manage the project, Permanent Secretary for Finance, Shiri Gounder says the grant will fund the expansion and upgrading of a mini hydro power facility in Buca Village and the installation of a solar photovoltaic based mini grid with battery storage system in Tiliva Village.

He says it will also fund capacity building and institutional strengthening with the Department of Energy and other energy related agencies.

Gounder says the full cost of the project is US$3.4 million of which US$3 million is a grant from Japan while $400,000 is directly funded by the Fijian Government.

Gounder says the Fijian Government funding is specifically for site preparation and cleaning, construction of access roads and costs associated with safeguard.

He says the project starts early next year while preparation work is underway.

While responding to a question by fijivillage News on what is being done to ensure that there is no mismanagement of funds, Gounder says the grant will be administered through the Asian Development Bank which will follow the procurement guidelines and financial procedure requirements of the ADB.

ADB Regional Director Aaron Batten says ADB with the Department of Energy will be administering the funds so they will support the government through the procurement and financial management process and ensure that Fiji's own financial management requirements as well as ADB's are met.