THE Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to all consumers who have tampered with their meters to cheat proper consumption reading to surrender themselves to the state run power firm offices.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, TANESCO’S
Managing Director, Mr Felchesmi Mramba, said the firm will conduct a
house to house inspection after which all culprits will be arraigned.
He pointed out that other measures that
will be taken against the culprits include confiscating their properties
to pay for the loss that “the utility company incurred during the whole
period the person has been stealing power’’.
“We urge them to come forward and
surrender... no legal steps will be taken if someone surrenders himself/
herself within seven days. But after that, they will face the music,
which includes selling off the person’s properties to pay for the debt
for those who will not afford to do so,” he explained.
On improvements in supply since the use
of natural gas started, the MD said production has reached 700mw,
equivalent to 70 per cent of the total electricity in the national grid.
He described the achievement as a major
developmental revolution, given that the same amount of electricity has
for many years been produced through hydropower.
Mr Mramba said from September 17 this
year when the government started using natural gas from Mtwara,
electricity production has increased from 260mw to 540mw.
This, according to him, is an increase
of 300mw, which has contributed to stabilizing electricity distribution
in the country, adding that another 130mw is expected from natural gas
sources between now and January 2016 that will take the total to 700mw
going into the national grid.
“For many years, we have relayed on
hydropower to generate more than 70 per cent of electricity in the
country. But due to climatic changes, water sources have since dried
up,” he observed.
On the same note, the TANESCO boss said
construction of the Kinyerezi II power generating plant project,
expected to produce 240mw once fully operational, will be in full swing
between this month and January 2016.
He reported that the Japanese contractor
picked for the job has already received a down payment for the
construction of the Kinyerezi II. On claims that electricity poles were
being purchased outside the country, Mr Mramba explained that both local
and foreign suppliers were involved in the process, which strictly
hinged on procurement laws and requirements.
The managing director also revealed that
TANESCO has started taking steps against employees who have been
engaging in improper behaviour such as accepting bribes and using
offensive language to customers, including dismissal. He said so far,
several officers out of the seven principal officers who have been
dismissed from work, were taken to court in Kagera Region, last week.
Those sacked include managers, engineers
and accountants from several regions including Kagera, Kondoa North,
Katavi, Shinyanga and Ilala. TANESCO is also in the process of
publishing toll-free phone numbers to be used by the public to provide
reports to the utility firm whenever they are mistreated by its
employees.
He also appealed for patience as the
utility company continues to improve power distribution by improving
infrastructures which at times call for power cuts.
The managing director said TANESCO will
also participate in a clean-up exercise to mark the 54th independence
anniversary on Wednesday, in which they will clean areas around
electricity generation centres beside transformers and other power
infrastructure area.
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