“Now, to connect the electrical cables, we have started setting up utility poles and we are also gathering information on how much capacity is needed [to power] households [on] the whole island. After that, the transformers will be built. We have [been] working for Chaungzon Township to have access to electric power by 2016,” said Nai Lawe Aung.
With the support of Mon State’s 2014-2015 government finance, electric poles will be set up along the Salween River to route power cables to Chaungzon Township.
Nai Lawe Aung also stated that since May, government staff members have been drawing maps and choosing locations to install the poles. Currently, engineers have begun filling up cement to construct concrete poles, as marked, along the Salween River.
“The rate of electricity distributed in Chaungzon Township will be the same as that of what the government has charged in [other parts of] Mon State. At the moment, we are still making a list [of] how much capacity of electric power will be needed for the whole island, and we are preparing to build transformers in Chaungzon Town,” said Nai Lawe Aung.
According to U Koyinlay, Chairman of the Kamarmow Village self-supported electricity committee, if the government provides electric power, the committee will stop running its private distribution of electric power to the village.
“We (villagers) gathered people and formed electricity access committees, as the villages need[ed] electric power. If the government can provide it, we will have to spend much less than that of using from [a] private power generator. We will stop our project if it does not work well,” said U Koyinlay.
Currently, Chaungzon Town and Ywalut Village are the only two locations on the island having access to government-supplied electric power, while the rest of the island must depend on privately-owned power generators.
According to Mudoon Villager, Min Kasauh Htaw, electric power accessed by a privately-owned generator costs 500 kyats per unity of electricity.
“Now, we use electricity power distributed from private-owned, and it is 500 kyats per unit. If we have access to the government supplied electricity, we will use it. That electricity rate is much cheaper,” said Min Kasauh Htaw.
Presently, the rate of government-provided electricity is 35 kyats for 1-100 units, 40 kyats for 101-200 units, and 50 kyats for 201 units and above. On Belu Kyun there are 45 village tracks, comprised of 78 villages, with a population of over 160,000.
At a June 28th press conference with Mon State media groups and reporters, U Kyaw Phyo Htun, director of Myanmar Lighting (IPP) Co. Ltd. said that at the moment, at night, the highest capacity used for the whole of Mon State is less than 70 Mega Watts. The Myanmar Lighting (IPP) Co. Ltd. has agreed to help Mon State access adequate electric power, and has signed a contract with the Mon State government to supply it with 230 Mega Watts by December 2015.
