The World Bank is to support the continuation of the rural electrification programme to increase access to power in Solomon Islands.
The government and the World Bank have reached a five-year management funding deal to save the Solomon Island Electricity Authority from insolvency.
The Under-Secretary of the Department of Finance and Treasury for Solomon Islands, Jim Hagan, say the deal will also aid the implementation of the rural electrification program
"And the idea is if we have a stronger, better managed electricity authority then the Solomon Islanders and the electricity authority are in a much stronger position to actually manage rural electrification. The aim is that Solomon Islanders run the electricity supply to the Solomon Islands."
Jim Hagan says more than 80 percent of the population live in rural areas and most have little or no access to electricity.
