Original story by Dale Luma, Post Courier, 28 November 2023

NIUPOWER Ltd has donated 118 solar kits to the Gorohu village in the Central Province.

NiuPower chief executive officer Michael Uiari said access to electricity is one of the country’s biggest priorities with the government’s aim to cover 75 per cent of the country’s rural population by 2030.

“On behalf of NiuPower and its shareholders, Kumul Petroleum and Santos, we are pleased to extend the support to Gorohu and its surrounding communities. We have donated 118 solar kits so that they have lights,” Mr Uiari said.

“These communities are important to us. We have the PNGLNG and we have been operating since 2019, and as part of our program we have extended some of what we do to the community here.

“They are isolated and that’s what touched me, so we were able to provide solar kits so they can have light.” Mr Uiari said the rest is up to the other businesses like the Telco’s who can set up towers: “They already have 118 households who will be connected as customers.

“When you have electricity it opens the pathway to other services, which is an example of what can be done on the back of electricity.” Mr Uiari highlighted that NiuPower has so far, through its various community programs, invested around K4.5 million.

“Since 2019 we have invested about K4.5 million across our project area footprint covering five areas.”