M a r k e t N e w s
Tanzania: All Villages in Zanzibar to Have Power By 2020 - Minister
Posted on : Thursday, 30th June 2016
Zanzibar — All villages in Zanzibar will have access to reliable electricity supply by 2020, Members of the House of Representatives were informed.
Deputy Minister of Lands, Water, Energy and Environment, Juma Makungu Juma, said that the government has been working hard to ensure that houses in rural villages and inhabited small islands easily access power from the National Grid.
"We are on track to have our goal achieved; shortage of funds is to blame for the delays, but we will implement the programme gradually," he said, when responding to questions from representatives.
Chaani representative Nadir Abdul-Latif Yussuf (CCM) also asked why the Zanzibar Electricity Company (ZECO) charges high tariffs electricity connection, which is a burden to most people in the rural areas.
"The charges for connecting electricity are affordable because the government subsidises almost every service. For example, ZECO buys power from TANESCO at 275/- per unit, but it sells to its customers at 222/- per unit," the minister said.
TANESCO buys poles from South Africa at about 400,000/- but it sells to its customers at only 150,000/-, according to the minister.
Source : allafrica.com
