The European Union has given government, a grant of 23 million Euros towards the 62.5 million Euros Increased Access to Electricity and Renewable Energy Production (IAEREP) project under the Rural Electrification Authority (REA).
ZANIS reports that Secretary to the Treasurer Fredson Yamba signed on behalf of the Zambia government while the ambassador of the European Union delegation to Zambia and COMESA, Jacek Jankwoski signed on behalf of the EU during the virtual grant signing and launch of the project held in Lusaka today.
Minister of Energy Mathew Nkhuwa, speaking at the function, said he was excited that the project was aimed at increasing modern energy services targeting especially rural areas.
Mr Nkhuwa said the support provided by the European Union could not have come at a more opportune time with provision of 23 million Euro grant funding to various private developers in the off grid space.
He further said it is gratifying to note that implementation of the off grid projects would provide access to electricity services to more than 50 thousand people and 500 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
Mr Nkhuwa said the project will further reduce poverty as well as promote rural economic growth through women involvement in order to promote gender equality.
He urged private companies awarded the grants to ensure that the intended benefits from the programme reach the targeted rural communities as final beneficiaries.
And Ambassador Jacek Jankwoski said he was glad to see that the clean energy development project is one of the key priorities for the Zambian government as stated in the seventh national development plan.
Ambassador Jankwoski said massive investment in the renewable sector are key to the realisation of the European Green Deal’s political priority.
He said these projects will be a unique opportunity to stimulate the emergence of viable business models for decentralised solutions that shall attract private capital for promoting affordable and sustainable energy services.
Meanwhile Rural Electrification Authority (REA) Chief Executive Officer Clement Silavwe said the authority was grateful for the support it is receiving from co-operating partners and directly from government.
Mr Silavwe pledged the authority commitment to work with all stakeholders and submit reports as required.
Thank you to our PARTNERS. We will continue working with you all to enhance global development. Now we wait for the f00lish non-tax paying upnd diasporans to spill their hate and anger at this. Some even claim to say this is their tax money which is being given to us, and yet they are just living off state benefits there abroad.
Brexit all the way
None of this money will be spent appropriately.
Any grants donations given ends up stolen. Just like what happened with the $42 million fire engines.
How many of these are write off nit in working condition
PF full of thieves and crooks
Poverty is a state of mind, it can not be reduced or removed by donors. This is 2021, not 1971. Shibukeni if you haven’t yet. No one will put a price on you
Zesco spent twice that amount on some pointless smart metres that monitor customers usage of electricity that is never supplied.
Zesco is PF milking cow.so no much benefit to ordinary Zambians. Only zesco bosses will
Drive 4×4 vehicles with big bellies.
I wish organisations such as the World Bank, IMF and the EU would understand that u can’t fix the African economy without fixing African politics which presides over it (the economy). Politics in Africa is rotten and the rot from politics poisons the economy.
Thank you to Zambia’s partners..
Thank you to the European Union for the gesture
We appreciate the support our development partners continue rendering to Zambia