Minister slams lack of planning in electricity service
He said the government has started reviewing the policies to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Environment Minister Thorig Ibrahim said on Tuesday that the systems used to provide electricity services in Maldives have been established without any planning.
The Environment Ministry held a press conference on Tuesday to share details of three projects being carried out by the Ministry:
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Formulation and implementation of the national project schedule for Rural Waste Management
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Further facilitate the installation of solar panels to reduce electricity consumption and fuel powered electricity generation by households
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Environmentally friendly waste disposal
Minister Thorig said the government is working hard to reduce the use of fuel-generated electricity in Maldives and reduce the electricity bills of households. The 'Magey Solar' program was launched in November last year to facilitate the installation of solar panels for households, he said.
He said the government has started reviewing the policies to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy to reduce the cost of electricity bills.
"Most of the electricity systems used in Maldives are installed without any planning. Therefore, every island has cables and generators of different ages and sizes. This means that electricity is not being generated in the most efficient manner," Thorig said.
Further clarifying on the electricity situation in Maldives, he added:
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On average, an island has a distribution loss of 20% at present
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This distribution loss is so high that a lot of expensive fuel is wasted
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Maldives currently spends 13.5% of its GDP on oil imports
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MVR 3 million per annum is spent as electricity subsidy
He added that the government is taking steps to reduce electricity consumption while increasing solar power generation. He said the government will also work to bring necessary amendments to the laws and regulations.
