From All Africa

The ongoing power woe coupled with the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco) plan to raise power tariffs by 67.87 per cent has paralyzed businesses around the country. Business communities have now teamed up with Tanzanians to express disapproval of the state owned power utility plan to hike the power tariff. They first demand for the better service before the deal.

They said at first, the power utility has raised the power tariff by 40 per cent with an expectation that things will change and they will start being given better services but unfortunately the power blackout kept on increasing.

The traders condemned consistent tariff hikes which are contrary to the service which the state owned power utility has been offered to them. They proposed to the government to invite private firms to compete with Tanesco in power generation and distribution.

“We have incurred an operational cost twice a year, first through the 40 per cent power hike early this year and now via power rationing,” said Mr. Athumani Mwangosi, one of the traders at Kariakoo, the busiest market area in Dar es Salaam.

The soft drinks dealer, who is also running a number of restaurants around the city, said that he has been using generator since the power woe started but bad enough, he receives another report that he has to dig more from his pocked for power.

Tanesco were awarded a 40 per cent tariff increase early this year; however the electricity supply remained inconsistent, especially in most of the business areas. This has been forced traders to use generators or close their businesses.

Read more at All Africa