News  »   New gadget to facilitate power supply in thatched homes

Owners of traditional grass-thatched houses, better known as `Msonge`, will from now on enjoy power supply from the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company due to the introduction of a gadget called Ready Board.

The gadget, which can be attached to the house, will be able to provide lighting to the home without wiring while there being no need for fixing of a main switch and circuit breakers.

Energy and Minerals deputy minister Adam Malima told Parliament here yesterday when responding to a question by Martha Umbulla (Special Seats, CCM) who had wanted to know efforts taken by the government to reduce power supply costs so that rural dwellers can enjoy the service.

MP Umbulla said most people in rural areas failed to use electric power due to exhorbitant connection charges.

In his response, minister Malima said the rising costs of electrical materials like poles, wires, transformers and meters had led to high connection charges, but said the government had come up with a mechanism to ensure that electrical infrastructure is built near residential houses.

Meanwhile, the government has admitted that it sold its poles treating and transformer manufacturing industries in normal privatization procedure, but added that Tanesco and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura) were doing all they could to find a place where they could purchase electrical poles at a cheaper price.

Malima said this in the House yesterday while responding to a supplementary question by Special Seats MP Ania Said Chaurembo, who had wanted to know whether the government was aware that it was incurring unnecessary cost by importing poles while it had sold its industries that could have reduced the costs.

* SOURCE: Guardian