.SILIYA

By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

THE Government has threatened to cancel concessions for mini-hydro power site projects that have been standing for a long time without implementation.
Energy and Water Development Minister Dora Siliya said the Government was concerned that some concessions for mini-hydro power projects had been pending for a long time without much effort to have them develop.
Ms Siliya said the current problem of power deficit the country was facing would not be mitigated as long as implementation of projects for mini-hydro power development was not expedited.
“I have instructed officials in the ministry to follow up on all the outstanding projects. There are some concessions that have been standing for mini-hydro power sites and I intend to cancel and give them to others,” Ms Siliya said.
She said this yesterday when she graced a stakeholders’ meeting on the power crisis and energy demand side management held at Moba Hotel in Kitwe organised in partnership with Stanbic Bank.
Ms Sililya said if the current challenge of power deficit was to be mitigated, there was need for the Government to implement bold decisions.
The minister, who emphasised the need for serious investment into the energy sector, expressed disappointment that talks for diversification into alternative sources of energy such as solar and other renewable sources had been going on now for more than two years without success.
“Solar energy has been a topic for the last two years. We need to expedite these processes so that we can reduce the deficit,” she said.
To this effect, Ms Siliya gave a deadline of November 30, 2015 for four companies that had expressed interest in engaging in renewable sources of energy to begin the implementation process, stating that her ministry was going to take a leading role in expediting the agreements.
She called for concerted efforts in addressing the challenge of power deficit, urging all stakeholders to desist from what she termed “blame game” as the problem at hand was not for the Government alone, but the nation as a whole.
Ms Siliya said the current power challenge was a big concern, especially that businesses were now sharing the costs with consumers.
The Government equally has not been spared as it is spending colossal sums of money on the importation of electricity from Mozambique.