A total of 5,080 villages are to be connected to the national grid this year, as part of the National Electrification Plan (NEP). According to an article in the Myanmar Times, U Thura Aung Bo, project manager and deputy chief engineer of NEP was quoted that, under phase 1 of the project, 5,080 villages within two miles of the grid will be connected. The villages are located in Mon and Kayin states, as well as Bago, Ayeyarwady, Mandalay and Yangon regions. Villages in Sagaing and Magway regions, and Chin, Shan and Rakhine states, will also be connected in phase two. “Most villages in the outskirts currently do not have access to electricity,” Thura Aung Bo was quoted as saying. “That is why our department is working to light up the rural areas. The authorities will ensure the reliable distribution of power to people in the outskirts.”