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Zanzibar hikes electricity charges
2006-03-06 11:04:37
By Issa Yussuf, Zanzibar
Zanzibar has announced the increase of power tariffs by 25 per cent starting April this year, according to the Isles Minister for Land, Construction, Energy and Water, Mansour Yussuf Himid.
The Minister said the hiking of power tariffs has been necessitated by the increasing cost of supplying electricity in the Island, and the need to improve services.
He said the Zanzibar State Fuel and Power Corporation (ZSFPC) was faced with some problems including Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) debt of about 19bn/-, and that Zanzibaris still pay reasonable amount for electricity compared with Tanzanians in the mainland.
”Zanzibar government had not increased electricity rates since 2001 because the government does not want to load its people with burdens. But now we have thought of increasing something small just to improve our services,” Himid said.
Zanzibar’s main Island of Unguja gets its 45 megawatts main electricity supply from the Tanzanian Mainland power grid through Fumba from Rasikiromoni power station. Pemba depends on the thermal generators.
Yussuf also told reporters that the Zanzibar government was working closely with some donors to improve electricity supply to Zanzibar, mainly by replacing the submarine cable from the Mainland, as well as connecting Pemba Island with Tanga electricity.
He said the current submarine cable which was installed in 1979 is about to reach its life span, which is 30 years.
He said that the government was in discussions with some donors including the AfDB, and the US Millennium Account on life improvement in developing countries.
He also disclosed that his Ministry is expecting to table a bill in the next Zanzibar House of Representatives, which would allow business people to import and sell electricity generating equipment.
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