Kitwe Chamber hails president Hichilema for clinching solar power deal

The Kitwe Chamber of Commerce has applauded President Hakainde Hichilema for clinching a solar power deal in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) that will see an additional power of 2000 megawatts into the national grid.

Recently, President Hakainde Hichilema led a team in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) and a Joint Development Agreement with the United Arab Emirates Investors aimed at facilitating massive investment in renewable energy in Zambia.

The MoU and the Joint Development Agreement will see ZESCO and the company MASDAR, form a joint venture in developing and deploying solar projects across the country at a cost of US$2 billion.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe, Kitwe Chamber of Commerce president Emmanuel Mbambiko said once it materializes, the deal will help address the power deficit challenges in the country.

Mr Mbambiko said the quick move by the President must be commended as
it will permanently get the country out of the power deficit which has a challenge for the past years.

He noted that finding alternative power sources like solar on a large scale should have been done way back when it was realized that the country was likely to suffer from power deficits.

“For us in as a chamber we applaud this opportunity to try and address the power deficit for another number of years, something which has not been done since independence, we have all just being complaining without taking action but now the leader has taken hold of an opportunity to address the situation,” he
said.

And Mr Mbambiko has urged members of the chamber to look at ways through which they can partner with the United Arab Emirates investor in order to take advantage of the business opportunities.

He advised that the opportunities will not just come easily but must make efforts to clinch the partnership deals as the president has already done his part.

Mr Mbambiko further commended government for resolving the Maamba Collieries impasse saying the move will help mitigate the power deficit currently being experienced across the country.