Tanzania: No village will be left in the dark

Tanzanian Minister of energy Dr Medard Kalemani has warned the public utility Tanzania Electric Supplying Company Limited (Tanesco) that they will face the government wrath if the company fail to connect new customers.

According to the minister since the customers are paying, Tanesco should always make sure that there are enough electric poles to connect new customers.

Tanzania is aiming to connect all villages to the national grid and provide them with electricity by 2021, Medard Kalemani said earlier this year.

A crucial step in achieving this goal is providing electricity to villages across the country and Kalemani says efforts are on track to accomplish this by 2021.

The country’s efforts were bolstered in 2016 by a MoU signed with the World Bank that provided $209 million for the implementation of Tanzania’s Rural Electrification Expansion Program.

In his new directive to all Tanesco managers across the country, Mr. Kalemani warned that the government will not spare anyone, who fails to connect new customers to service due to lack of electric poles.

He also directed Tanesco managers to make sure that more people are connected through the implementation of Rural Electrification Agency phase III.

“You should go to the field and make sure that villagers are connected rather than staying in the office,” said Dr Kalemani.