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Mystery shrouds Tanesco chief Rashid`s resignation
2007-11-23 19:01:47
By Pastory Nguvu
Energy and Minerals minister Nazir Karamagi has said that he has no official information on late Wednesday evening`s resignation of Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Director General Idris Rashid.
The minister said in an exclusive telephone interview with this reporter in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the company’s board of directors was yet to keep him posted on the issue by late evening yesterday.
`I have learnt of the development only through the media. I would advise you to contact the chairman of the board, perhaps he will furnish you with more information,` said Karamagi.
`I am on my way to the airport to bid farewell to President Jakaya Kikwete. I repeat that I have no report from the board,` he added.
However, Tanesco Board Chairman Fulgence Kazaura confirmed Dr Rashid’s resignation in a telephone interview yesterday.
`He (Dr Rashid) resigned on his own free will. We didn`t dismiss him. Therefore he should be in a better position to talk about the matter than I am.
But what I can confirm to you now is that he has tendered his resignation letter to the board,` explained Kazaura.
Asked for details, Tanesco Public Relations Manager Daniel Mshana said he had nothing substantive to add to Kazaura`s comments.
`I can only advise you to contact Dr Rashid himself or the chairman of the board. I have really nothing of consequence to say on that,` said Mshana.
Efforts to reach Dr Rashid yesterday failed, as his mobile phone was permanently switched off.
Reports say the DG resigned following differences of opinion at a Tanesco board meeting on the firm’s plans to hike power connection and consumption charges.
Apparently, the DG had insisted that the hike be effected but his board chairman was not impressed.
Dr Rashid`s resignation comes just days after his plans to hike power tariffs and connection charges hit the wall.
The company had failed to get the mandatory approval for the two proposals from the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura).
Tanesco was out to hike power connection charges by more than 100 per cent beginning this month and tariffs by 40 per cent by January, but there have been nationwide calls against the idea.
Following Ewura`s stance, Tanesco suspended the installation of new service lines and introduced an arrangement under which new customers would have to buy all the equipment needed for installing service lines.
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