25 Mar 2018

Parliament has deferred a motion that requests government to increase the electricity connection radius from 500metres to one kilometre for standard charge, which was tabled by Gabane-Mmankgodi MP, Major Gen. Pius Mokgware.

The motion was deferred to the November sitting, while waiting for government to respond on the progress made with regard to reviewing the radius.

When tabling the motion, Maj. Gen.  Mokgware said it was difficult to connect electricity because charges were exorbitant especially for youth businesses, first home owners and economically challenged citizens.

He argued that companies were charged huge sums of money to pay for transformers that cost up to P400 000 which made it impossible for start-up businesses.

Maj. Gen. Mokgware said electricity connection had been the main impediment to a breakthrough of youth projects because their loan ceilings were up to P100 000, adding that even when youth tried to group themselves for connection, it was almost impossible because the charges were “immensely unaffordable”.

He said the standard radius of 500m had been overtaken by a lot of developments considering that the situation had halted a lot of potential businesses.

“If government increases radius by one kilometre, by so doing more people would be covered, especially first time home owners and companies,” he said.

When responding to the motion on behalf of Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Nonofo Molefhi said government had made an undertaking to review the national electrification standard costs programme in order to cater for connection of household beyond the current 500metres limit.

He further said the ministry would give feedback with regard to prices for connections after thorough investigations and evaluations.

“I agree with your convincing reasons, but you should note that before government considered standardised connection fees especially in planning areas, it was always almost impossible for BPC to connect electricity in rural areas and some plots in urban areas because plot owners developed plots at different times.

This, he said was demanding and too costly for BPC, hence the introduction of standardized connection tariffs , because it was costly for government to connect electricity at piece-meals.

Mr Molefhi said the five thebe per kilowatt hour tariff was meant for public to meet government half-way because electricity charges were far too expensive for government and “it is already heavily subsidised.”ENDS