NRECA International initiated a rural electrification technical assistance program in Central America in the mid-1980s, headquartered in Guatemala City, to provide assistance to electric utilities in electric utility reform, training to electric utility executives, engineers, and other professional staff in cost control, loss reduction, demand side management, customer relations, and other key technical and management areas.

NRECA International continued its technical assistance program in Guatemala with the support of the US Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress program. NRECA International designed and implemented an innovative rural electrification revolving trust fund to finance investments in electricity related projects in Guatemala, including pre-investment for commercial generation of electricity utilizing renewable resources, grid extensions, isolated electric systems, internal electric wiring, energy efficiency and acquisition of productive assets for small and medium rural agro-enterprises.

The Electricity for Progress Trust Fund was modeled on a similar revolving fund established by the Rural Electrification Agency in the U.S. The Trust Fund has dispersed over 90 loans for electrification and related investments, which have created approximately 1,100 direct jobs, but considering linkages with related businesses, the amount of jobs created exceeds 5,500.

Tomas Panjoj Jorge, like many other agricultural producers and entrepreneurs in Guatemala, has taken full advantage of the available credit provided by the EFP Trust Fund to improve post-harvest processing, capture greater value from their products, and improve the competitiveness of their enterprises in the domestic and international market.