Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has issued an executive order dismissing the 27,000/- initial amount charged by the state-owned utility – Tanesco to new electricity customers in rural and peri-urban communities.
The cost for a one-way electricity connection was lowered to 27,000/- from 177,000/- in either rural or urban communities during President John Magufuli’s administration. The amount has been widely known to all connections under the Rural Energy Agency (REA). The three-way power connection also was reduced to only 139,000/- from 912,000/- previously charged.
But Speaking on Tuesday, the president admitted that Tanzania’s electric supply corporation and the energy minister had been ‘tight-lipped’ on the legitimacy of the amount charged.
“I know the Minister (January Makamba) has been silent, but let me help. When Tanesco is directed to charge only 27,000/- per any new connection the main question becomes, where does it get the extra money,” she asked.
She directed that henceforth all new connections will be subjected to pay the actual fee and only the extremely poor in the village will enjoy the government waiver.
With the new directive, Tanesco will now evaluate every application and offer costs to be paid by every new customer according to the materials used.
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