Africa-Press – Tanzania. National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai has tasked the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals to immediately summon the State owned utility–Tanesco Board of Directors over frequent power cuts across the country.
Ndugai said on Tuesday in the National Assembly the number of MPs who had unanswered questions was disturbing and therefore requested the Energy and Minerals Committee to meet up with the Energy Ministry.
“I see so many questions from members regarding electricity. This means frequent power cuts are a major problem,” he said shortly after the Energy Deputy Minister responded to some questions posed by parliamentarians regarding power blues to their constituencies.
“… get to know the plans (from the Ministry) if they are satisfying,” he said. Adding, “the board of directors must be summoned and made aware of the seriousness of the task assigned to them.”
Initially, the Deputy Minister Stephen Byabato told the parliamentarians the swift changes made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the Tanzania National Electricity Company were inevitable to improve its performance which includes revenue collection.
The president appointed a new board chairman and the company director in September. Few hours later, Minister for Energy January Makamba named eight new board members.
The new members includes, the Chairman, Omari Issa, Managing Director Maharage Chande, other members; Nehemia Mchechu, Lawrence Mafuru, Zawadia Nanyaro, Aboubakar Bakhresa, Mwanaidi Maajar, Abdallah Hashim, Cosmas Massawe and Christopher Gachuma.
Manyoni-West MP Yahaya Omar Masare (CCM), opened the flow in the august house after learning that some of Tanesco customers in his constituency were removed from lower-electricity consumers to medium electricity consumers.
He also claimed that contractors implementing the Rural Electrification project Phase three had not reported to work. “This is not to mention frequent power cuts that we still see in Manyoni,” he said. Byabato said the switch change made by the government would help end power cuts.
Other MPs who complained about power cuts includes Kilombero MP, Abubakar Asenga (CCM), Jang’ombe MP Ali Hassan King (CCM) and Special Seat MP Taska Restituta Mbogo
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