PETRA JAYA: The cost to build and upgrade transformer to power up rural areas in Sarawak is being funded by the federal government through the Rural Development Ministry.
Assistant State Rural Electricity Minister, Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, said the ministry, previously known as the Rural and Regional Development Minister, would also provide allocations for other facilities to provide electricity supply to the rural areas.
State government-owned power company, Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), said Rahman, was tasked to monitoring the capacity load of every transformer installed in the state.
“If the capacity of the transformer exceeded 80 per cent, SEB will carry out upgrading works on-behalf of the minister to ensure sustainable supply of electricity for rural folks,” he said.
Rahman (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu-Pantai Damai) was responding to an oral question by Datuk Ranun Mina (PBB-Opar) during the state assembly sitting here today.
Ranum was enquire the amount of allocation set aside by the ministry to perform upgrading works on transformer in the rural areas.
Rahman also told the House that the cost to install and upgrade transformer included the cost for rural water supply projects. SEB, he said, was not involved in the two projects.
“The cost to upgrade a 50 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) transformer to a 160 kVA transformer is RM20,000 excluding installation works,” he said, adding that the total cost to upgrade and install the transformer is RM80,000.
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