"The infrastructure associated with rural electrification is very expensive, largely due to the low population density and low economic activities in the areas requiring electricity to support the cost of bringing the grid to these areas," Katali said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Solar Revolving Fund (SRF), an element of the Ministry's Off-Grid Energisation Master Plan for Namibia, in Windhoek yesterday.
The SRF allows people to buy solar-power systems by making use of revolving credit.
Technologies that have been financed so far include solar home systems, solar water pumping and solar water heating.
The Plan's objective is to promote off-grid rural electrification through the use of renewable energy.
Katali said, energy shops will be set up in every region and this was being coordinated by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Institute at the Polytechnic of Namibia, with financial from the Finnish embassy.
The ministry's permanent secretary, Joseph Iita, said the SRF programme was established in 1996 and had been run by private fund administrators before it was taken over by the ministry again this year.
So far, Government has contributed about N$19 million to the SRF and about 1 500 people have benefited from it, borrowing about N$11 million, said Iita.
Applicants pay a minimum deposit of 5 per cent and an interest rate of 5 per cent annually. Loans are repaid within five years.
Source: AllAfrica.com
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