Cash-strapped
Zimbabweans are set to get relief from national power
utility
Zesa's decision to scrap electricity bills beginning today.
Josh
Chifamba, Zesa chief executive yesterday confirmed to the Daily News
that his
company would not backtrack on its promise to cancel $160 from
domestic
electricity consumers starting November 1.
"We
remain committed to fulfil our promises and I can assure you that some
people
have already begun to receive the adjusted electricity bills," he
said.
Chifamba,
however noted that the bill adjustment would be implemented in a
phased
approach.
"It's
not possible for us to bill everyone at the same time. So others
will be
receiving adjusted bills in November," he said.
The Zesa
boss said consumers on pre-paid meters would also have $160
credited
to their accounts.
"When
our clients migrated to pre-paid meters, their debts were
transferred
to the new system and will have their accounts adjusted
accordingly,
while those with up to date accounts will be credited with
$160,"
he said.
This
comes after the power utility last month announced a $170 million
debt
relief for domestic customers, resettled and rural farmers.
Zesa
said the debt relief to customers was devised after extensive
consultations
with farmers' representatives and other stakeholders as a
way of
contributing to the general economic recovery and success of the
agrarian
reform in anticipation of the new planting season.
Zesa's
move to slash electricity bills comes after local authorities were
ordered
by government to scrap water and housing bills running into
millions
of dollars.
In the
run-up to the July 31 harmonised elections, government directed 92
rural
and urban councils to write off debts owed by residents since
February
2009 to June this year.
State-owned
fixed telephone company, TelOne, also recently cancelled $80
million
domestic debts in the wake of an increased liquidity crunch in the
country.
Industry
experts have however, warned that the slashing of bills might
hamper
the power utility's efforts to increase power generation and reduce
load-shedding.
"It
was a well-considered decision and the scrapping of bills will not
affect
our operations," Chifamba said.
Zimbabwe
has been experiencing acute power shortages since August this
year due
to annual plant maintenance at Hwange Thermal Power Station and
Kariba
Hydro Power Station.
The
southern African country - which recently roped in Namibia's NamPower
in the
rehabilitation of its power plants - is currently producing 861
Megawatts
(MW) per day and importing 50MW against daily demands of 2
200MW,
resulting in excessive power cuts across the country.
To help
alleviate the electricity shortages, government recently opened up
the
energy sector to private players as the country continues to struggle
with its
power deficit because of a weak economy and ageing machinery.
Proposed
power generating projects are at different stages of
implementation
as the country gropes in the dark for a lasting solution.
With 11
projects still on the drawing board, only the Kariba South
Extension
plan has inched forward and promises 300 megawatts for the
national
grid.
The new
Kariba plan however, requires $400 million to take off.
Another
long-standing initiative is the Batoka Gorge project for four 200
megawatt
power generators in the next six years. This massive scheme along
the
Zambezi River is projected to cost $2,2 billion.
Work on
Batoka Gorge has yet to pass the bidding stages for a
comprehensive
environmental and social impact assessment and an
engineering
feasibility study.
Other
proposed projects are the Gairezi hydropower station in Nyanga; an
extension
of the generation life cycle at Hwange; the upgrading of Deka
pipeline;
repowering schemes at Harare, Munyati and Bulawayo power
stations,
and a coal-bed methane project in Matabeleland North.
Zimbabwe
recently tendered a $400 million solar power project for Gwanda,
Plumtree,
Munyati and Zvishavane areas as a short-term measure.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment