Vanuatu

Getting Electricity in

Vanuatu

Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building in Vanuatu.

This information was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 185 economies. The most recent round of data collection was completed in June 2012.

Compare Vanuatu to 185 other economies.

  • Standardized Company

  • Name of Utility: Unelco
  • City: Port Vila

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Submit application for a connection to Unelco and await an estimate of connection fees

The application for connection can be submitted in person and by mail.
The following documents should be attached to the application
1) Land tile showing all cadastral limits (Electronic version georeferenced)
2) Calculation of Power requirement
3) Building plan showing service point
The land title must show clearly the applicant as the owner. The land in question must also show evidence of roads or easement up to the existing electricity grid.

The utility is in charge of designing the details of the external connection works.


Agency: Unelco 		30 calendar days no charge
* 2 External inspection of the site by Unelco for preparation of technical study

Unelco visits the site for a technical study after the application for connection is submitted. Someone from the applicant’s party has to be present during the inspection.
Agency: Unelco 		1 calendar day no charge
3 Await completion of the external connection works by Unelco

Unelco visits the site for a technical study after the application for connection is submitted. Someone from the applicant’s party has to be present during the inspection.
Agency: Unelco 		90 calendar days VUV 3,244,444.4
* 4 Sign a supply contract and pay a security deposit

The customer has to sign a supply contract right after the commissioning of the works and before electricity starts flowing. When customer signs a supply contract he has to pay a deposit. The security deposit is based on load the customer is subscribing to. There is no interest paid on the security deposit and it is returned at the end of the contract.


Agency: Unelco 		30 calendar days VUV 272,157.6
5 Obtain basic inspection of internal wiring from UNELCO and electricity starts flowing.

In practice Unelco checks internal wiring before they connect a customer although they are not required to. They do basic earth tests and circuit tests but do not check the wiring in detail.
Once the basic wiring inspection has been done, the internal wiring has been verified for conformity to Unelco requirement, and all contractual obligations have been settled, then the power can be switched on.

Agency: Unelco 		2 calendar days no charge
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
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