From next year, the Ceylon Electricity Board would make further investments on grid extensions and off grid services to provide electricity to 96 per cent of households by 2016, Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne said.

According to the National Development Programme 2009 of the Ministry, the CEB implements rural electrification projects with government equity investment and its internal funds.

According to CEB sources, by the end of October 2008, there were 4,034,959 or 82 per cent per cent- household electricity customer accounts in the country. Three per cent were served by off grid facilities like generators and power supplied by the private sector.

Rural electrification project number six will be implemented for 10 new schemes and 466 new extensions funded by the Asian Development Bank and rural electrification project number four for 225 schemes for 65,000 consumers at a cost of USD 28 million- funded by the Sweden International Development Agency.

Rural electrification project number eight for 600 schemes for 100,000 new consumers costing USD 55 million, will be funded by the Export Development Bank of Iran and rural electrification project number 10 for 100,000 consumers where negotiations are being held with the Exim Bank of China for funding of USD 40.8 million.

In addition, the Power and Energy Ministry has committed funds through the national budget for electricity projects in Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Moneragala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee to provide electricity to every village.

Further the Ministry of Nation Building provides funds from time to time for rural electrification schemes to supplement the continuing rural electrification programme of the Ministry of Power and Energy.