CALABAR, Trelawny – More than 100 people from 23 households in the deep rural Trelawny district of Top Road in Calabar have received electricity in their homes, under a $2-million project of the Rural Electrification Programme.

A street lamp was also installed in the community.

The official lighting ceremony was held last Friday where residents expressed their appreciation to Commerce, Science and Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell who facilitated the project.

Bishop Cleveland Gibson, who gave thanks on the residents’ behalf, also took the opportunity to ask the minister to deliver on additional street lights to the area.

Paulwell, for his part, encouraged residents to use their newly-received, precious commodity responsibly.

“You must be careful because I know that now that you have light the tendency is to go home and just flick the switch and you sit down in light, you eat in light, and you go sleep in light. When you go to bed please turn off the light. When you don’t need the light please turn it off,” he said, while urging residents to pay their electricity bills.

He added that his ministry would continue the task of getting electricity to the remaining 10 per cent of the island.

“Today, I am proud to say that Jamaica leads in this part of the world, the Caribbean. Today over 90 per cent of our country has electricity. The remaining 10 per cent is the most difficult because it is in the most remote areas, but we are committed to doing it and it shall be done,” he noted.