Speaking at the Conference, Mr. Cao Quoc Hung - Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade said that in the period of 2011 - 2020, the Industry and Trade sector has realized two criteria in the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, including: criterion No. 4 (rural electrification) and criterion No. 7 (rural trade infrastructure). During this period, although facing many challenges, with the determination of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Economic Groups and the consensus of people, the program has achieved significant results.
Regarding criterion No. 4 which is Rural Electrification, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and its member units have played a key and core role, constantly rehabilitating, upgrading and building rural medium voltage and low voltage power grids; timely and sufficiently meeting the needs of developing agricultural production, handicraft industry, aquaculture, daily life and ensuring safe and stable operation of power grids in rural areas. The fund being mobilized in the 2016 - 2019 period was VND 81,700 billion, 1.6 times higher than the investment capital in the period of 2011 - 2015 (VND 50,100 billion).
Up to now, EVN has supplied electricity to 100% of communes, of which 8,072 out of 8,902 communes (about 90.7%) across the country have achieved criterion No. 4 on Rural Electrification, increased by nearly 46% compared to 2010 and 8.3% compared to 2015. In many provinces and cities, 100% of the total number of communes reach the new rural standard from electricity supply respect.
Along with the investment in construction and development of power grids in rural areas, under the direction of the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, EVN has kept on promoting the take-over of rural low voltage power grids from local unprofessional power management organizations. By the end of 2018, EVN has taken over the power grids in nearly 6,000 communes, managed to sell electricity directly to more than 6.2 million households and rehabilitated the power grids after taking over with a total cost of about VND 8,000 billion. Thereby, rural households are entitled to consume electricity with good quality, safety and stability; to buy electricity at retail tariffs set by the Government and to use customer services provided by EVN. At the same time, EVN has completed receiving, managing power grids and selling electricity in 11 out of 12 island districts, ensuring a stable and uninterrupted power supply 24/24h to serve people on the islands, contributing to protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands, political and social security.
Reporting at the Conference, Mr. Vo Quang Lam – Vice President of EVN said: In 10 years of implementing criterion No. 4, the biggest difficulty was the lack of financial resources for investment in rehabilitating and developing rural power grids which typically spread over a large area covering a lot of mountainous areas, remote areas, inaccessible areas and with scattered population distribution. Besides, site clearance activities to build new power grid projects get increasingly difficult, especially as for 220kV or 110kV transmission grids. In the coming period, EVN proposes that the Government should consider, balance and allocate state budget in the period of 2021 - 2025 to realize the objectives of the Program "Rural electricity supply from the national power grid in the period of 2013 - 2020” according to the Decision No. 2081/QD-TTg dated November 8, 2013 of the Government and Decision No. 1740/QD-TTg dated December 13, 2018. In addition, EVN also proposes that the Government should direct ministries and agencies to work with international organizations in seeking preferential financial sources and adopting interest rate supporting policies for EVN to implement power grid investment projects for rural areas, meeting the objectives of the Program.
EVN suggests that the provincial People's Committees should prioritize the allocation of their annual budget to invest in electrifying households who have not access to electricity yet, when the central budget has yet to be available yet, since these electrification projects under this Program is of public benefit with the aim of realizing social security goals, they will not feasible if being funded by commercial borrowings. At the same time, EVN proposes that the provincial People's Committees direct their Steering Committees for new rural construction to plan and agree on the list of new rural construction communes in synchronization with required resources to focus on implementing 19 criteria, efficiently using financial resources in the context that financial arrangement is getting increasingly challenging. At the same time, they should encourage households to be voluntarily involved in site clearance so that more fund can be reserved for investing in developing new power grids, meeting the electricity demand of the communes. In addition, EVN and its member units would like to request the local authorities to support communication activities and encourage the local people to clear the right of way of power grids and not to plant fast-growing trees under existing power lines.
Co-chairing the Conference on October 2, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, a standing member of the National Steering Committee for New Rural Construction Program confirmed that criterion No. 4 is very important in promoting other criteria in new rural construction. The Steering Committee will provide maximum support for the Ministry of Industry and Trade and EVN to fulfill the assigned tasks in the coming time.
CONTACT INFO:
Communication Department - Vietnam Electricity;
Email: bantt@evn.com.vn
Phone: 024.66946405 / 66946413; Fax: 024.66946402
Address: No. 11, Cua Bac Street, Truc Bach Commune, Ba Dinh District - Hanoi;
Website: www.evn.com.vn, www.tietkiemnangluong.vn
Fanpage: www.facebook.com/evndienlucvietnam
Download the Press Release of EVN on successfully accomplishing its tasks in new rural construction in the period of 2011 - 2020 with regards to the electricity criterion here.