Power: Tanesco needs to get its act together

IN SUMMARY

The Tanzania Revenue Authority loses about Sh9.5 billion annually due to power blackouts alone in the manufacturing sector, the report adds.


For about a week now, sections of Dar es Salaam have faced a highly erratic power supply. It is a situation gives the impression that there is an unannounced load shedding.

Other parts of the country, especially Mwanza and Arusha, have also suffered power outages.

In Dar es Salaam, the country’s foremost commercial hub, the power supply has been sporadic. Prolonged and unannounced blackouts cause significant losses to manufacturers, businesses, institutions and domestic consumers. This comes just three weeks after Tanesco hiked power tariffs by 40 per cent on the rationale of enabling it to meet its operational cost. This was endorsed by the Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (Ewura).

When we ask the people to dig deeper into their pockets to get the power they need to manage their household and professional activities, we must be sure that we are in a position to match their expectations. Anything else is unacceptable, even irresponsible.

A report titled “Challenges of Unreliable Electricity Power Supply to Manufacturers in Tanzania” says the intermittent power supply is one of the reasons for the higher cost of doing business here.

“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,” says the report.

The Tanzania Revenue Authority loses about Sh9.5 billion annually due to power blackouts alone in the manufacturing sector, the report adds.

Tanesco’s management needs to urgently put its act together and deliver reliable and quality electricity to consumers. It is the only way they can justify the recent price hike.

We appreciate that Tanesco’s infrastructure still suffers technical glitches but, at the end of the day, consumers have to look out for their own interests. They can do without excuses. All that they need is reliable electricity. They are willing to pay for it, even when prices have risen. Give them what they need.