Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT has agreed with Cuba to extend its cooperation agreement to supply a further 40,000 energy-saving light bulbs free of charge to residents in nine constituencies across Jamaica.
Cuba has donated 70,000 bulbs, which is more than the 30,000 asked for, in order to complete phase one of the project in Kingston East and Port Royal. The project aims to persuade Jamaicans to adopt energy-saving technology.
Five hundred homes in each constituency will receive the bulbs in phase two, with East Kingston and Port Royal residents who missed out in phase one also receiving bulbs.
"These bulbs will add to the lives of Jamaicans in a positive way. It will improve their standard of living by reducing the energy they consume, thereby reducing their light bill," said Phillip Paulwell, Minister
of Commerce, Science and Technology at the launch of phase one in February.
EXCHANGED
The bulbs will be distributed within poor communities and exchanged one-for-one for householders' old incandescent bulbs which will be symbolically destroyed.
Workers from the ministry, together with those from the Cuban Government, will go door-to-door conducting the exchange of bulbs and surveying residents' energy use, including an inspection of their light bills. Those with illegal connections will also be included in an effort to encourage them to join the national grid.
