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Msabaha braces for tough Bunge debate
2006-07-17 09:02:53
By Guardian Reporter
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals tables its budget in Parliament this morning, amid complaints over power rationing and soaring fuel prices, particularly in the country’s main commercial city, Dar es Salaam.
Energy and Minerals Minister Dr Ibrahim Msabaha, is expected to read his budget speech, shortly after the question and answer session, after which there would be official reaction from the opposition camp and the respective standing committee.
Dr Msabaha is expected to unveil a blue print containing plans and strategies for the energy and mineral sectors in the economy.
The budget, the first for Dr Msabaha, as full cabinet minister, after serving in the same ministry as deputy minister, will be real challenge for him, taking into account the much talked about ’review of large-scale mining contracts’ and the prolonged power crisis. Both will definitely generate a heated debate in the House.
Legislators will debate Dr Msabaha’s budget presentation for two days, today and tomorrow, before winding up and endorsing or rejecting tomorrow.
Interviewed by The Guardian last week, some power consumers complained of long hours of power blackouts, insisting that they hoped the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Ltd (Tanesco) would stick to its daily rationing schedule.
The interviewees were unanimous that the power timetable was hardly adhered to, saying that it was difficult for them to predict when it would be cut or restored.
They also complained of frequent power surges that damage their domestic appliances.
They said Tanesco could have installed high capacity power step up/step down equipment to help resist frequent power surges.
One of the consumers, Zuhura Bakari, a resident of Temeke observed: ’’You can never tell when power would be restored.’’
Mashaka Lebejo, from Magomeni, spoke of the apprehension of power consumers in his area, because of inconsistent power rationing, which he said was dangerous to domestic electrical appliances.
Lazaro Mwambuchi recalled the day he lost a photocopier when power returned unexpectedly.
However, TANESCO Public Relations Manager Daniel Mshana came to the defense of the power firm, blaming some of the power woes on vandalism of transformers in some parts of Dar es Salaam.
According to Mshana, transformers have been vandalized in some parts of Temeke and Kinondoni Districts, causing unnecessary power blackout for weeks.
Mshana said Tanesco technicians were repairing used transformers at the company’s electrical workshop to restore power in Temeke before new ones arrived from Arusha.
He named other areas in Kinondoni District that faced power crisis for the past two-weeks after the transformer had been vandalized and oil stolen, as including Kunduchi, Goba, Bahari Beach and Kwa Mzungu.
Other areas are JKT Kunduchi, Boko-Shuleni, Kwa Msanja, Kwa Prof. Mwandosya, Kwa Fumbuka, , Konieke, Berege and Uniko.
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