Consumers up in arms over irregular electricity supply

A student studies by candlelight following an unannounced power cut. Consumers are having to contend with erratic power supply even after tariffs were raised by 40 per cent recently. PHOTO | FILE

By Mkinga Mkinga, The Citizen Reporter


IN SUMMARY

Moreover, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has not come forward to explain the nature of the problem or even when a solution to the problem would be found.


Dar es Salaam. For over a week, power supply in sections of Dar es Salaam City has been highly erratic giving the impression that there is an unannounced load shedding.

Moreover, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has not come forward to explain the nature of the problem or even when a solution to the problem would be found.

A survey by The Citizen showed that supply has been intermittent with prolonged, unannounced blackouts that cause significant losses to manufacturers, businesses, institutions and domestic consumers alike.

This comes just three weeks since Tanesco hiked power tariffs by 40 per cent on the rationale -- which was endorsed by the Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (Ewura) -- of enabling it to meet increasing operational costs.

Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) Policy and Advocacy director Hussein Kamote, said the sudden power blackouts negatively impact on delicate electric machines installed in factories.

He said it would be prudent for Tanesco to place public announcements about forthcoming power cuts in advance so consumers would switch off their machines to evade damages as much as possible.

“They (Tanesco) had promised that there would no longer be power cuts once tariffs are raised ... it’s time they give us value for the money we pay them,” Mr Kamote said.

He said that results of a study they (CTI) conducted showed that erratic power supply costs the manufacturing sector a whooping Sh31 billion annually.

 The report titled “Challenges of Unreliable Electricity Power Supply to Manufacturers in Tanzania” says intermittent power supply is a big problem in the country and has been one of the reasons for higher costs of doing business in the country.

“Each manufacturing firm loses 24 working-hours of labour and 7,341 jobs are lost annually owing to electricity problems in manufacturing firms, greatly reducing productivity and undermining competitiveness,” the report reads in part.

But also the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) loses about Sh9.5 billion annually due to power blackouts alone in the manufacturing sector, the report said.

Reached for comment, Tanesco’s acting Public Relations manager Adrian Severin said there is no power rationing in Dar es Salaam or any other part of the country.