Abstract: | The institutional aspects of rural electrification programmes are often given much less attention than their importance warrants. In a number of important ways, rural electrification is in conflia with the primary concerns of the utilities mandated to implement it. Resolving this dilemma requires a separation of functions, with the agency responsible for rural electrification being given substantial autonomy. The range of institutional options for achieving this is wide and the choice should be tailored to the local context ana programme objectives. |