By Daily Revelation Reporter
Kamfinsa member of parliament (PF) Christopher Kang’ombe says he expected President Hakainde Hichilema to appear before the press yesterday and announce the reversal of the steep electricity connection hikes his administration announced recently.
Speaking with Daily Revelation over the justification by the Head of State that the hikes were necessary for Zesco to survive as the last time they were looked into was in 2005, and that successive administrations have failed to address the matter owing to politics, Kang’ombe said the connection fees which have been hiked by “over 300 percent” will hit Zambians hard, as they were coming at a time when the economy was in bad state, and that even in a well performing economy they would still be steep.
He argued that all the infrastructure was owned by Zesco, and therefore wondered why the government was transferring the huge cost to the public. Kang’ombe said the job of Zesco was to sell units to the public, and wondered why the President was justifying the transference of other costs to the suffering Zambians.
“I expected him to announce a reversal of those increments,” he said, arguing that the government has technically increased the cost of doing business in the country… Why give incentives to mines but can’t extend the same to Zambians?” asked Kang’ombe. “We don’t want them to come and say as government we are determined to reduce the cost of business. There is no justification for that. We expected the President to reverse this increment.”
