Private investors have been challenged to invest in power production in an effort to contribute to the country’s economic growth.
The remark was made in Dar es Salaam last week by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Deputy Permanent Secretary (Energy), Dr Jualiana Pallangyo, in a conference for members of the Southern African Power Pool.
The member countries include Bostwana, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Republic of Congo Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The conference is aimed at discussing various challenges facing member countries in power business as well as share experiences. She said that private investors could produce power from various sources such as waterfalls, wind, biogas and solar.
Dr Pallangyo said that investors could invest through the construction of power distribution infrastructure, development of small hydropower projects and use of other sources such as winds. She noted that investors could also establish factories for producing equipment needed for the construction of power infrastructure.
Dr Pallangyo said the participation of the private sector in the energy sector has been improving annually, insisting that the government was still working on its plans to empower private investors in power production.
She added that the government had created a favourable environment for investment in the country, including enactment of laws which are used as guidelines such as electricity Act 2008, Energy Policy 2008, which encourage the participation of private sector in the business.
Other laws include Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority 2001, Rural Energy Agency Act 2005.
She, however, said the government had set up strategies to ensure that the country had reliable power by 2025 by 75 per cent of all citizens, especially the rural population.
“We expect to produce up to 10,000 megawatts which will help to speed up the country’s economic growth through factories,” she said.
Southern African Power Pool; SAPP was formed in August 1995 during the Southern Africa Development meeting whereby the members entered in agreement to collaborate in power business.
Post a Comment