ANNATTO BAY, St. Mary — A transformative initiative is bringing legal electricity and renewed dignity to residents of rural Jamaica through the government’s Rural Electrification Programme (REP). The program, implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), is regularizing previously unauthorized connections while installing proper electrical infrastructure.
Sixty-year-old Kerron Buchanan, once disconnected from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) grid due to unaffordable accumulating bills, now watches with anticipation as certified electricians install a new breaker box at his Cargill Lane residence. “I maintained monthly payments, but the carried-over balances became insurmountable,” Buchanan recounted, describing the financial strain that led to his disconnection.
Buchanan is among more than 70 Annatto Bay residents who received complete household rewiring on January 21, marking a significant step in normalizing their electrical access. The emotional impact was palpable as Buchanan shared his immediate plans: “The first thing I will do is play some music and clean up the place.”
Local cosmetologist Malika Murray expressed profound relief at transitioning from an illegal connection to authorized service. She described the constant anxiety of living with unauthorized electricity: “When you see a JPS vehicle, your heart leaps because you don’t know if they’re coming with police to your house.” Murray praised the utility’s initiative and committed to maintaining regular payments, encouraging fellow community members to embrace legal connections. “No more hide and seek. Legal light, and it feels good,” she beamed.
The current initiative continues work that began in 2023 under former Member of Parliament Dr. Norman Dunn, with Annatto Bay representing the first phase in St. Mary South Eastern where over 100 households were previously regularized. REP liaison officer Omar Love confirmed the program’s expansion across the constituency, with more than 300 residents slated for regularization.
Established with a mandate to extend electricity access to rural regions, REP supports the government’s broader objective of island-wide power availability to stimulate economic development. The institutional framework was strengthened in 2006 when JSIF signed a memorandum of understanding with REP and JPS to facilitate household regularization across 12 inner-city communities. The program encompasses complete household wiring and certification of contractor-performed electrical work.