By Savious Madanhire
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is offering subsidies ranging from 50% to 100% for Midlands rural electrification projects, an initiative aimed at promoting rural development and improving living standards by increasing access to electricity.
The subsidies, which range from 50% to 100% to public institutions such as hospitals, schools, and government extension offices are eligible for a 100% subsidy, while A1 and A2 farmers can access a 50% subsidy whereas 60% subsidy for individuals who want electricity at their homestead.
REA Project Coordinator, Chimiso Fortune explained the subsidy offerings by REA for eligible beneficiaries.
“Subsidies, REA has 100% subsidy (meaning they don’t pay anything) for public institutions such as hospitals, primary schools and secondary schools,government extension offices. For school institutions we tube the admin block and practical subjects block, we pay the connection fee and the meter as well.”
“50% subsidy for A1 and A2 farmers in a bid to electrify the nation. This also goes to small-scale miners and a group of ten people can approach REA after forming a committee, REA will then provide a budgetary quotation for the group after they bring information on the approximate distance from the existing electric line and a sketch of the dotted homestead layout of the ten people hence the group should be homesteaded close by.
However, if the group appears to be interested, REA can open the account for them,” he added.
In the Midlands province, several institutions and communities have already benefited from REA’s electrification programs, including Melusi Primary and Secondary School, which received a 15kW solar system.
Eng Fortune said, “We do institutional solar systems, we do these at public institutions such as primary or high schools in rural hospitals. Our first project in the Midlands was in Melusi in Zibagwe district, it was a 15-kilowatt system that supplied power at Melusi primary and secondary.”
“Currently works in progress for the institutional solar systems, is one at Zhawugwe in Shurugwi which is a 15-kilowatt system, Mvura at Chiwodza there is a 20-kilowatt system to supply Chiwodza primary, Chiwodza Secondary and a small business center.
We have done one at Sawi in Gokwe and another in Mavanga supplying Mavanga primary, Mavanga Secondary, and a business center,” he said.
Additionally, REA is doing a community solar system which covers a bigger area going through the village hence as long one’s homestead is within a 1km radius he or she can get electricity with a prepaid meter buying electricity online such as Zesa.
The solar system plant which is a 96 Kilowatt is under construction at Gandavaroyi in Gokwe as well.
