Power supply is expected to be improved in Mahdia and other surrounding Region Eight communities shortly as a new $85 million generator has been installed.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, residents were informed of the procurement of the generating set over the weekend by Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsawak. The set has been installed and will be tested for the next few days, before coming into full operation.
The release stated that residents have been affected by serious rationing of electricity in Mahdia. Harsawak explained that this has been due to the Mahdia Power and Light’s shortfall as a result of limited resource.
Harsawak explained that the company does not have enough customers on the power grid to get enough revenue so as to generate 24 hours of electricity.
He further mentioned that of the 500 customers on the grid, 85 do not pay for power because the first 15kw is free. Another issue highlighted by Harsawak, according to the GINA release, is the late payments of many of bills by the big businesses in Mahdia and Campbelltown. Moreover, the late payments cause constraints, when the company has to buy fuel and there is not enough money to turn around to do so.
Additionally, Harsawak said, “the issue of fuel is also bought to the fore by the fact that the power company has a 750kva generating set, when it is using about 250kva. In essence the set is too big for the small customer base and this is why the government would have invested in a smaller generating set that would allow for the consumption of less fuel and at the same time, the provision of more hours of electricity generation to the residents.”
Harsawak in the company of the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, over the weekend, according to the release, met residents of Campbelltown and Princeville, and heard their concerns as part of the government’s focus on reaching out to residents on issues of community and national development.
