Thursday, March 28, 2024

Farmers welcome withdrawal of electricity tariffs application by ZESCO

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FILE: President Edgar Lungu with Dr Evely Nguleka ZNFU President  duringthe  Launched the Electronic Voucher System for the Farmer input Programme in Choma Mbabala constituency on Monday 12-10-2015. Picture  by Eddie Mwanaleza/ Statehouse.
FILE: President Edgar Lungu with Dr Evely Nguleka ZNFU President duringthe Launched the Electronic Voucher System for the Farmer input Programme in Choma Mbabala constituency on Monday 12-10-2015. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/ Statehouse.

The Zambia National Farmers’ Union has welcomed the decision by ZESCO to withdraw the tariff application made to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB).

ZNFU President Evelyn Nguleka said the Union believes this move by ZESCO will now help farmers increase their production of irrigated crop particularly in areas that are experiencing dry spells in the country.

Dr Nguleka added that it will be easier for farmers to engage in planting winter crops including wheat, sugar cane and barley in the next few weeks.

She said these crops require affordable electricity to support massive irrigation regimes for improved productivity to achieve food security for the nation while earning foreign exchange from exports of the surplus crop.

“It was indeed difficult and costly for farmers to undertake meaningful irrigation when electricity tariffs had increased by 350 per cent for farmers falling under the MD category at a time when commodity prices have remained low on both local and international markets,” she said.

Dr Nguleka said the Union is, however, aware of the limited progress recorded so far in growing the energy sector largely due to the electricity tariffs that have remained low for a long time.

She said ZNFU has always advocated for a phased approach in electricity tariff increments as opposed to a huge one-off increase that would have not only have undermined crop and agro-processing, but also threatened food security in the country.

“It is our sincere hope that dialogue between government and private sector players will continue in arriving at an appropriate level of electricity tariffs that would attract more investments in the energy sector while at the same time supporting primary production in agriculture.”

30 COMMENTS

  1. And make sure you vote for UPND & HH.
    Forward is the best future all Zambians’ by voting out visionless & violent PF.

    Farmers, time to teach PF the taste of their Donchi Kubesa. Chew PF money % vote FORWARD in UPND & HH.
    So says
    The Skeleton Key
    ~206~

    • These gimmics must end of these tarrifs. Listen:
      They say everyone makes mistakes. At one time we all make mistakes they say.

      Well, that is mildly accepted in my world-What I refused to accept though is that you should REFUSE to acknowledge that you are different. You see you are a good person (just ask your Mother).

      Have I lost you?…
      I am sorry

      What I am saying is – Evidence shows that Commerce Ministry was driven to higher proportion not by the Minister but by the Deputy Minister.
      That man is Mr.. Miles Sampa.

      He is cut from a different cloth.

      Please vote the Orange Alliance- and Miles Sampa if you want to see an uplift in energy, more money in your pockets.. More Universities…

      Miles Sampa is the man you WANT. I promise you , you will not be disappointed…

    • but zoona …. looking at lungu`s face!! one wonders!! is it drunkardnes or is he too sober or its because of withdral symptoms after vatican,,,,
      awe shuwa!! am waiting to see what with happening after the elections, will there be a party or straight to rehab center????

    • @ndobo

      Don’t be diplomatic, Lungu has “alcoholic’ reflected in High-Definition on his face. Image consultants, if he has any, should have told him to abstain from alcohol until at least after the elections. If you ask me that’s the portrait of a test pilot.

    • CHIPAANTEPAANTE! VISIONLESS LUNGU IS SHOOTING ALL OVER THE SWOW WITH NO SPECIFIC TARGET. LUNGU IS A WASTE AND A SERIOUS LIABILITY FOR ZAMBIA. LUNGU NEEDS IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. SEND LUNGU BACK TO CHAWAMA COMPOUND. LUNGU IS WASTING OUR PRECIOUS TIME TO DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY. BRING IN THE REAL TEAM. BRING IN HH AND UPND.

    • @Mushota you seem to delight in verbal abuse of yourself and also seem to be a narcissist! Nobody want to be associated with person such as your purported candidate who cant even register a political party! Running government will be impossible iwe ka Mushota!

    • Those are codewords for PF flip-flopping on everything from electricity tariffs, foreign exchange controls, employment creation, job losses in the mines etc. Implement, withdraw, implement, withdraw, ad infinitum.

    • HOW DO WE EXPECT LUNGU TO RUN A COUNTRY WHEN HE HAS FAILED TO RUN UNZA AND CBU? LUNGU AND HIS CABINET ESPECIALLY KAINGU ARE VERY CHILDISH AND ARE TRYONG TO APPLY CHILDISH PLAY GROUND SOLUTIONS TO IMPORTANT ISSUES. THE STUDENTS PLEAS WHERE COMPLETELY IGNORED UNTIL THEY WHERE FORCED TO DO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO GET GOVERNMENTS ATTENTION. THE LAST TRIP TO EUROPE WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY AND THAT MONEY WOULD HAVE FUNDED BURSARY COMMITTEE FOR SIX MONTHS. NO UNZA NO CBU NO VOTE!!!

  2. We haven’t seen anything yet. Isn’t this Dr. Nguleka who was asked to step down to pave way for investigation over corruption? I’m confused!

  3. Things are getting better. More rains, more water, more food, more electricity supply, more industrial production, more jobs, more votes for lungu, more years for PF and lastly more paind and tears for HH and UPND

    • It’s more debt , more corruption, more joblessness, more taxes, more inflation, more Kwacha devaluation : stop PF from further destruction of.Zambia.

  4. the PF vehicle with 5 gears for reverse drive and just 1 for forward drive , and a swivel chair for Lungu, is working well for PF.

  5. Campaigning gimic. And Lungu seems to be enjoying corruption. Nguleka is under investigation for corruption. What’s Lungu doing about it.

  6. Its a correct move by Zesco to reconsider the economic impact of electricity price increases on various sectors of the economy as they affect livelihood and the Zambian structural economy

    Moving to cost reflectivity is a carefully worked out Long Run Marginal cost analysis with MW volumes and Plant Costs Matched appropriately otherwise a compromise

    There will not be any time when costs will be reflective in the lead and lag situation of Zesco

    Balance also cost reflectivity with the Life line tariff balancing to flex to current economic and parity conditions Zambia is facing

    Good Move

  7. Though you can say there was a cost of service study in my own view reading the report, it was not thorough as it often did not technically and fundamentally addressed the key question of historical ,methods and the need to move towards cost reflectivity stressing the structure of Zambia economy demographics and trends in productivity sectors well

    It should have assessed the venerability of different sectors of the Zambian to rising electrify costs as recouped in the Rising Tariffs Analysing the Case of investments for Zesco The need for energy mix and the intensity of use of electricity for those industries Ranking the sectors appropriately Doing a marginal…

  8. It is not a correct move but political move. Just wait after election date the tariffs will go up. Whom are you trying cheat at good move? Nonsense.

  9. Analysis
    Above all and every thing ,at macroeconomic level, you will need to understand that the key driver of electricity consumption is ,Income Price and Technology
    Rising levels of National income Increases consumption and the opposite is true for Increase in Electricity that tends to curtail productivity and eventually the Downside risk to National incomes eventually affecting the same Investments in the Energy Sector

    There should NO SUDDEN SHOCKS towards cost reflectivity but LMC migration

  10. Whoever comes in does not matter but national planning resonating to ensure progressive ideas and development is what is important Any one with clear understanding of the Zambia economy will do similarly

    The electricity intensity in Zambia in sectors and Incomes are not matched in this tariff also if you observe

    Good move by Zesco

  11. The tariffs have been reverted back to what is affordable by ALL SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY, so instead of mourning and trying to think why they are affordable, use the electricity for productivity. To us these are practical solutions which President Lungu is putting in place instead of just HH yapping like a mad person. This is the difference between working President and a political novice.
    ECL has already won these elections, HH must start looking for employment in the diaspora to give talks on cattle raring.

  12. Many people get their PhD before the age of 26. It is only in Zambia where the system has not caughter up yet. And what witht he closures of the universities and degrading of the UNZA degree to a diploma by most awarding intitutions…!

  13. politics of character assasination will not help u ba UPND…. nga muleisa mukatusanga nomba mwikapitilila as u have owes done….ANYHOW ITS ECL @ PLOT 1 TILL 2021………..1000% DIE HARD even M’membe knows it and even ba zwd too…..so remain blinded by yo negativity as we foster development with ECL and His Team

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