About 20% of Fiji's population have no access to basic lighting and electricity.

This is according to the Department of Energy after their last census in 2007 which showed 80% of our population have some basic form of lighting and electricity.

This year about 2,500 families benefitted from the rural electrification projects.

This is an increase of 1,000 families compared to last year.

With the progress made so far, the Department of Energy is targeting 10% of the remaining population and by 2015 they hope to provide some form of basic lighting and electricity to all households in the country.

Last year the department used $3.7 million for the rural electrification projects compared to $8 million this year.

Story by: Akuila Cama