MINISTRY of Energy has stated that it has put in place strategies to ensure that 80 percent of Tanzanians use clean energy for cooking by 2033.

This was said in Dodoma yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Dr Doto Biteko when speaking about preparations for the energy sector exhibition.

The energy exhibition is expected to start on Monday next week and will be held for five days at Parliament grounds in Dodoma.

“Our ministry has sincerely decided to carry the agenda of clean energy for cooking as a special agenda to enable Tanzanians to get rid of the use of unclean energy and move to the use of clean energy,” he said.

He said that due to the economic crisis in the world in recent years, the price of oil has continued to rise and necessitated the use of a significant amount of foreign currency to import fuel.

He said that the ministry has ambitious strategies to reduce dependence on petroleum, saying the intention is to encourage the use of natural gas to run vehicles and machinery used in industries.

Dr Biteko said that the exhibition offers an opportunity to show the direction of the energy sector, adding that this year’s exhibition’s main agenda is clean energy for cooking.

He said it is also an opportunity for parliamentarians and other Tanzanians to understand implementation of the energy policy for the year 2024/2025 and the direction of the sector in developing the country's economy.

“Energy week will start on Monday, I would like to invite all MPs and Tanzanians to come and listen to us and see what we are doing. This is a very important week for our energy sector,” he said.

He said that the ministry, which has been given the responsibility of managing issues of electricity, oil, gas and gas exploration in various parts of the country, has a plan of holding such exhibitions every year.

In December last year, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched a clean cooking energy drive meant to help women in Africa at a meeting held in Dubai on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28).