By Daily Revelation Correspondent
Citizens First (CF) leader Harry Kalaba says Zambians don’t deserve to be suffocated with high electricity tariffs and electricity connection fees, and he would immediately reduce them by subsiding and diversifying energy.
Speaking after his roadshow in the Central Province capital, Kabwe today, Kalaba said he would diversify energy supply by restarting the nuclear power project that had stalled. He said by doing so and by diversifying energy, the tariffs would definitely come down on their own.
“For us we believe that we have to invest heavily in nuclear energy, and that nuclear power plant facility that has not been opened will have to be opened,” Kalaba said. “And once we have that nuclear power plant facility it means we will have sufficient electricity in this country and therefore, the stress that Zesco has been experiencing will come down. Automatically, connection fees will have to come go down because our policy is that we need households, all households should have access to electricity, and we will have to roll out this plan working with not only ZESCO but also the Rural Electrification Authority.”
He said the Rural Electrification Authority would be given a mandate to ensure that they electrified rural areas, saying because of the same, there would be a deliberate policy by the government to suppress connection fees to households so that families could easily access energy.
But asked how he would ensure the viability of ZESCO if he reduced tariffs, Kalaba said every government must look at the interests of its own people first. He said it was clear that the high electricity tariffs and connection fees were weighing heavily on Zambians and keeping many from connecting to the national electricity grid.
“Each govt has to look at its own people so there is nothing wrong to offer subsidies and also enhance connectivity to electricity by Zambian,” said Kalaba. “Tariffs must not suffocate citizens and stop them from connecting to energy, which is now beyond reach of many. Apart from subsidising we are going to diversify the energy.”
