Our Expectation Is If Tariff Goes Up We've Guaranteed Supply Of Power - INDUSTRY

Industry players have said that power tariff increase was fine as long as power supply was guaranteed. They said that electricity remained the cheapest form of power in the country and even if tariffs were to be increased, it would remain better than other alternatives including the use of generators.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting held in the capital yesterday, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) chairperson, Mike Kamungeremu, said that the use of generators was not sustainable. He said:

Industry is okay with tariff increase even US$0,14 per kilowatt-hour, we need it because we need constant supply of power. Our expectation is if tariff goes up we have guaranteed supply of power.

We cannot continue operating on generators like indicated. If you run your business using your generators, you will be using US$0.30-40 per kilowatt-hour.

There are some businesses right now which run very big plants, they cannot use generators or solar, for those they need power and for that to happen the tariff must go up.

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At the moment electricity is costing ZWL$0.0968 per kilowatt-hour which translate to about a cent in US dollar terms, yet the same power is being imported at US$0,04, the cheapest, and up to US$0,12 per kilowatt-hour and as business we know ZESA cannot sustain such.

Low water levels at Kariba, ageing equipment at Hwange Thermal power station, and reduced electricity imports have resulted in a huge power deficit manifest in about 18 hours of power outage daily.

More: The Chronicle