We are in the 21st century, touted as the era of science and technology and Tanzanians are keen to ensure they aren’t left behind. In today’s world of information technology, forward-looking people have come to take for granted things like the Internet, e-commerce, e-learning and tele-conferencing.
An increasing number of Tanzanian farmers checks out quickly with their contacts in the urban areas to know the prevailing prices of their produce by calling or just texting using the mobile phone.
However, it has generally been difficult for most of our people to realise their dreams for various reasons, one of them being lack of access to electricity. And where electricity is accessible, the cost tends to be too high to many, while the supply is usually erratic.
Only around 10 per cent of Tanzanians have access to electricity. That is 4 million citizens in a population of 43 million! The power problem, therefore, has to be tackled in a multiplicity of ways: expansion, improvement of service and diversification of sources.
In this regard, the recent announcement by the minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Peter Muhongo, that power connection charges will being lowered by between 30 per cent and 77 in rural and urban areas respectively, is welcome indeed.
The idea of paying up to Sh2,001,442 just to have your house connected has been, to say the least, extortionate to most wananchi. Effective January next year, the minister says, the charges will be a little under Sh696,670. That is a remarkable reduction!
This means more people will have their premises connected, which will either improve their quality of life or business activities.
The Energy ministry must now strive to diversify the sources of electricity because, as critics have perennially said, over dependence on hydropower is the bane of the power sub-sector.
Of course, the issue of management of Tanesco has to be addressed too. To a large extent, rampant thefts and misuse of the firm’s assets are one reason consumers are made to pay more in a bid to cover for funds that are needlessly lost.
