Power connection fees down next month

Prof Sospeter Muhongo

Power connection charges will fall in at least six regions next month, Energy and Minerals minister Prof Sospeter Muhongo has revealed.

Without naming the regions, he said that the applicable fees have already been set for each region.

Residents of Lindi and Mtwara regions have meanwhile, started enjoying the lower rates. They will for the next six months be paying only 99,000/- connection fee for both single and three-phase power, a steep reduction from 455,104.76/- for single phase and 912,104.74/- for three phase.

According to the Minister, residents of Lindi and Mtwara have been given such lower prices as an offer to enable more people in the regions have access to electricity. He said the residents have for a long time complained about high fee for power connection despite the regions being major producers of gas in the country.

“We have started with Lindi and Mtwara regions…the rest will enjoy the new electricity connection fee in January next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Communications Manager, Badra Masoud said the new charges will be announced through a press conference next week. She however did not reveal the exact date of the meeting between Tanesco and journalists.

Tabling the 2012/13 budget estimates for the ministry, Prof Muhongo said the new charges aimed at reducing the burden of power connection cost by 30 and 70 per cent from the levels that new customers have been shouldering.

He said in rural areas charges for connecting power to new customers for a single phase which does not exceed 30 metres will now be 177,000/- while in urban areas customers will pay 320,960/- instead of 455,108/-.

The reduction is equivalent to 61.11 per cent for rural dwellers and 29.48 per cent for urban dwellers. However, the rates will only apply to customers whose connection will not demand an additional electricity pole.

The minister explained that for rural dwellers connected through a single phase line but requiring one electricity pole will pay 337,740/- while urban dwellers will pay 515,618/-, a reduction of 75.02 per cent and 61.86 per cent in rural and urban areas respectively.

Currently rural dwellers pay 1,351,884 for power connection service that requires a single electricity pole