Thursday, March 28, 2024

CUTS concerned by proposed increment in electricity tariffs by ZESCO

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Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Women display a sketch diagram of power generation, distribution and Supply at this year’s International Women’s Day commemoration held at David Kaunda Stadium in Chipata

The Consumer Unity and Trust Society is concerned with the proposed increment in electricity tariffs by the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation to the Energy Regulation Board.

CUTS while it agrees that Zambia should indeed begin to gradually move towards cost reflective tariffs – particularly in light of Zambia’s precarious fiscal position, consumer interests should remain at the centre of all decision-making.

CUTS Communications Officer Ms Chenai Mukumba said her Organisation is of the view that only following meaningful efforts towards internal reform of ZESCO should an increase in electricity tariffs for consumers be considered.

She said while the Cost of Service Study has indeed been delayed, CUTS is opposed to a revision of prices before this is released as it is imperative to make sure that consumers are not being unfairly penalized for inefficiencies within ZESCO.

Ms. Mukumba said as such, before shifting the burden towards consumers, ZESCO should first and foremost look to resizing the structure of the institution to achieve efficiency.

“In 2017 we applauded the Government for lifting the life-line electricity tariff for consumers from 100 kWh to 300 kWh. We noted however that quantity-based subsidies were not the most efficient way of targeting the poor as low-income consumers are not necessarily those who use the least electricity”, she added.

Ms. Mukumba said another of CUTS key concerns remains the effect that the proposed increased tariffs will have on the provision of goods and services in both the economy and social sector.

She said this proposed tariff hike will mean that Zambians will see an increase in the cost of production of all goods and services.

Ms. Mukumba said with this increased cost of production, CUTS expect a rise in the prices of commodities despite the fact that disposable incomes for most households have remained largely unchanged. Further to this, social services will also be hard hit by this increase.

She noted that proposed tariffs for schools, hospitals, and orphanages, have more than doubled thus this will have an impact on the provision of basic social services such as education and health.

She said it is therefore imperative that ZESCO finds additional alternative ways of reforming the energy sector without passing the brunt of the burden onto the consumers.

8 COMMENTS

  1. And some foooools were clapping when they saw the lazy man commission a Technical School built by Chinks and ZESCO…well you are paying for the cost of corruption because you are gullible docile people.

    • But wages for common Zambians are static, your people..!
      School fees going up.
      Water bills going way up.!
      Rent going up.!
      With holding tax introduced..!
      Transport cost up!
      Food prices also going up.!
      RTSA fees and taxes going up.!
      Toll gates..!
      Please people you are sending your own citizens to the graves too early..!

  2. Fact is most so-called people that can’t afford electricity price increase spend more than four times on talk time idling, gossiping, posting and giggling in cyber-space. They should shift this waste to cost-reflective tariffs. The mines have been laughing all the way to riches with the cheap tariffs. Farmers and social services enjoy good concessions all the time from ZESCO

    Let’s get real and move forward with cost-reflective tariffs and not this perpetual obfuscation.

    • Comment: we don’t have money… zesco should stead reduce….our disposable income can not shoulder these new rates…..

  3. Zesco get the money from mines and not from poor people. Your Management should be downsized and their abnormal pays should be reduced.

  4. PFoools draw salaries from Zesco and they also want to raise money to pay the over borrowed loans which they need to service, it is very difficult to make a dander head listen on how they are mismanaging the countries resources, you end up with a mess like we have now with these low IQ manga manga leadership that we have currently

  5. Cuts You are alarming the nation by talking about increase in Zesco tariffs. You will be arrested like Sean tembo or warned like archbishop mpundu.

  6. There is need for a law that say for instance, every 5 years ZESCO tariffs must be reviewed. 5 years is a good time to review either upward or downward adjustment on tariffs. ERB should only be chairing the reviews and ZESCO proposing adjustments, while societies like CUTS, some NGOs and the public be the reviewers.

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