PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has assured the nation that the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) will favorably consider ZESCO’s tarrif increment application in order to attract investment.
Officiating at the launch of the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Forum in Lusaka yesterday, President Hichilema noted the increment will not in any way affect the vulnerable as they will continue to receive a lifeline energy supply.
The President stated that ZESCO’s initial application was poorly communicated and incomplete as it did not stipulate government’s plans to protect the vulnerable from higher costs, hence the confusion.
“I am proud to tell you that we will increase the tariffs to promote investment. But the initial application by Zesco was wrongly communicated. The people at the bottom need lifeline supply, but those of us who can afford to pay must pay a higher tariff,” President Hichilema stated.
“The first application was wrong. We failed to explain that we aim to protect those at the bottom from higher tariffs, as that would raise their cost of living.”
“I made a statement that the tariff has to go up, we applied to ERB, the first application we got it wrong. There’s some stake holder meeting going on. I think the feedback is positive, we are asking ERB to review the application by ZESCO favourably.”
The Head of State assured that no citizen would be subjected to suffering for as long as the UPND was still in government.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, October 10, 2024
 will favorably consider ZESCO’s tarrif increment application in order to attract investment.){kind=link}
The way to go my president