The women’s movement in Zambia has called on the government to provide equitable access to solar energy solutions to help cushion the impact of the prolonged electricity rationing, lasting for up to three days in most areas.
The Non-governmental Gender Coordinating Council (NGOCC)’s call comes in the wake of soaring prices of alternative energy impeding access for most people.
Recently, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) expressed concern about the exploitative prices of solar energy equipment on the market and strongly urged solar equipment suppliers to pass on the tax incentives provided to them by the government.
ZESCO Managing Director Victor Mapani has similarly displayed his unhappiness at the incentives given to businesses not reflecting in the current market prices of solar power equipment, components, and products.
The prohibitive solar equipment prices have led financial institutions, and parastatal entities to offer loans to workers to help them meet the costs of alternative energy solutions, with the government being the latest to join corporate organizations.
Through the Public Service Micro Finance Company Limited, the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with various suppliers of solar energy solutions to support public service workers’ access to solar energy for domestic and agricultural use.
NGOCC says the government’s decision to provide financing solutions to public service workers to meet the costs of mitigating the energy crisis, only addresses a subset of Zambia’s population currently bearing the brunt of the energy crisis and struggling to survive.
Executive Director, Anne Mbewe-Anamela, said while the government’s decision is laudable, it only allows a section of society to have access to a viable solution to the challenges posed by the energy crisis, including load shedding.
The women’s lobbying body said the government must foster measures that ensure the larger Zambian population is facilitated to afford alternative energy.
“The energy crisis being experienced in the country has had adverse effects on all, especially those coming from low- and middle-income households, some of whom are outside the civil service.”
Anamela appealed to the government to provide more financial resources to ZESCO to procure solar technologies that can be offered to the masses including domestic, small, and medium enterprises at a reasonable cost.
“The recipients would then pay for the cost of the alternative energy through a minimal monthly fee to consumers in whatever way is feasible and guarantees that the cost is recovered. Doing this will allow citizens to navigate the current energy challenges,” she says.
Anamela urged local authorities and other quasi-government institutions to establish Public-Private Partnerships that will extend similar facilities to their workers. “If negotiated well, this will cushion a bigger portion of the public from exploitative trends in the energy sector.”
Separately addressing a similar concern at a public discussion forum on load shedding on Thursday night, Mapani – the ZESCO chief – whose company has introduced a loan facility in partnership with a financing institution to provide loads to ZESCO staff to procure solar power equipment, explained that ZESCO did that to lead by example so that when it encourages customers to take up alternatives, its employees would have already done so.
He said this was the same rationale behind the government facilitating credit facilities for civil servants to access alternative power solutions.
“You cannot start to sing a song and not lead by example so we have rolled out a loan scheme for all ZESCO staff, who must go on solar. We have also taken a step to engage the government that all public servants and civil servants in other institutions must do the same and that the government should give out loans.”
He stated that ZESCO had not forgotten about the masses and had partnered with manufacturers to deliver solar equipment at cost to Zambia through ZESCO and other companies, which will be lower than what’s prevailing on the market.
Mapani stated that through its newly formed subsidiary called Kiyona, members of the public can apply to a scheme run by Kiyona to access packages when delivered for solar equipment and technical assistance on storage and panel sizing, and costs.
He said this would significantly reduce the cost of electricity initiatives because the equipment would go directly into the hands of people.
