‘Rural energy funds should be disbursed without delay’

from NELLY MTEMA in Dodoma

SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndungai, has directed the Minister for Finance and Planning, alongside his Energy Counterpart, to sit together and address issues involving timeliness when it comes to payments in all Rural Energy Authority (REA) projects.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday shortly after the question and answer session, Speaker Ndugai said, the Ministry of Energy has been getting a lot of supplementary questions in relation to REA project payments and implementation delays.
“Minister for Finance you should sit down and sort out together issues of payment on stalled REA projects and you must effect the payment on time as electricity is key -- now that we are moving towards the industrial economy” he said.
The Speaker made the statement after more than 20-Members of Parliament stood up seeking chance to pose supplementary questions on the main question by Joseph Haule (Mikumi- Chadema) on delays of projects in his constituency and the main reason being untimely disbursement of funds.
Mr Ndugai also directed the Ministry of Energy to prepare and present a report on frequent power disruptions which he said deny members of the public the important service. “Power disruption have been an order of the day. We cannot move on like this. Something must be done.
We want to know the reason and a way forward, the trend has to come to an end,” noted Speaker Ndugai. He added: “It denied my people in Kongwa yesterday the opportunity to watch the match between Simba and Yanga.
They did not see how Simba tamed Yanga” he said amid applause from MPs who are Simba fans.
Mr George Lubeleje (Mpwapwa-CCM) sought the Speakers directive over rampant powercuts in Gairo, Kongwa, Mpwapwa and Chamwino, demanding explanation from the Ministry of Energy as for the source of the situation. Earlier, Mr Haule wanted to know when 16 out of 57 villages in his constituency will be supplied with electricity under REA Phase Three as pledged by the government.
Responding, the Deputy Minister for Energy, Ms Subira Mgalu said the villages will be covered under Phase Three; first round of the REA Project and the task has started involving 26-kilometres of 33KV and 32-kilometres of 0.4KV as well fitting 16 transformers.
She said the project will cost 2bn/- and initial 533 customers will be connected and State Grid Electrical and Technical works Ltd is expected to complete the work in June 2019.