The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has extended the cost of Service Study for the Electricity Sub-sector, to August 27, 2021 which was scheduled to be completed in December 2020.
ERB Director General, Langiwe Lungu says ERB and the project financiers African Development Bank have approved the second and final extension, which was requested by the study consultant Energy Market and Regulatory Consultants (EMRC) to allow for smooth completion of the study.
ZANIS reports that Ms Lungu said this during a press briefing in Lusaka today.
She further disclosed that the project could not be completed as scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has made it difficult for the consultants to collect data and travel as a result of travel restrictions and lockdowns in countries across the globe.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 global pandemic adversely affected the schedule of deliverables for the study. The total lockdown in Europe, coupled with travel restrictions affected the delivery of tasks under the study. Notably, the consultant could neither travel for data collection nor consult with key industry gate keepers,” she said.
Ms Lungu also disclosed that the consultant has made significant progress since the launch of the study, including the review of the structure and conduct of the power sector, legal and regulatory framework and electricity load forecast, which form part of the deliverables for the study.
“Despite the challenges, I am glad to report that the study has made significant progress since its inception as follows; the first deliverable of the study which includes the review of the structure and conduct of the power sector, legal and regulatory framework has been complete,” she explained.
Ms Lungu further stated that the second major deliverable is the electricity load (demand) forecast spanning the year 2020 to 2040 has been successfully completed for all customer categories.
The $600,000 African Development Bank funded study was launched on 3rd December 2019 and results of the study are expected to help determine the true cost of generating, transmitting and distributing power in the most effective manner and determine the unit cost of energy (tariffs) for each customer category based on the cost that each customer category induces on the power system.
$600,000 fOR A STUDY ……… SOMETHING NOT RIGHT
CAN YOU BREAK IT DOWN …… BUT I SUPPOSE NOT WE’LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT TO THE PUBLIC INQUIRY ON CORRUPTION LATER THIS YEAR
As mentioned by KZ. It will be sad come August 2021 and you still remain an opposition with no direction with a manifest that HH will be using in his own business.
Watch this space
Madam you are doing very well and keep it. Those who are concerned about the figures have no idea what it takes to run a business or an organisation like ERB.
Those are the people who oppose everything. HH and his followers. Mwanya.
Better to extend and get it right, than rush and get things wrong. For example hh always rushes to declare victory and when reality hits him, he looks down on his trousers and realises its premature ejaculation.