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Proposed Zesco Tariff hearing postponed
Livingstone, February 14, 2013 ZANIS—The much publicized ZESCO Tariff Review public hearing set for Livingstone’s Fairmount hotel was today postponed following an application by ZESCO that it was not ready to proceed.
ZANIS reports that ZESCO Managing Director Cyprian Chitundu disclosed this during a meeting with the media, in LIVINGSTONE, TODAY.
Mr. Chitundu said the power utility company had engaged cooperating partners to get a quantum of how much it could borrow and conditions for the repayment of the loan.
He said ZESCO had not yet received feedback from its cooperating partners and as such could not proceed with the public hearing as most of the concerns that needed to be addressed bordered on financial issues.
“People have been asking how much we are spending and urging us to borrow for investment purposes so we have been discussing with cooperating partners on the quantum of what we can borrow and conditions for repayment.
“ This is why we cannot proceed today because I cannot stand on that platform and say what ZESCO can do in the absence of feedback from our cooperating partners,” he said.
He further stated that ZESCO was trying to strike a balance between providing superior services and delivering the same services to clients at a cheaper rate.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chitundu assured that the power utility company was ready to provide uninterrupted power supply during the 20th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly to be co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe in August this year.
“We are ready for the UNWTO and I can confirm that we will provide uninterrupted power supply during and after the general assembly as we believe in providing quality services to our visitors and local clients as well,” he said.
Mr. Chitundu revealed that plans were underway to put up new transformers in Linda Compound and an additional 12 kilometers of overhead lines within the tourist capital.
He acknowledged that ZESCO had some shortcomings but was doing the best it could to provide quality services to all its clients.
Earlier, ZESCO Board Chairman Fr. Frank Bwalya urged people to brace themselves for more load-shedding and faults but stressed that measures were being put in place to minimize the challenges.
And Energy Regulation Board (ERB) Chairperson George Chabwera said the public hearing was a good opportunity for people to air out their grievances and for ZESCO to explain its plans and address concerns from clients.
After consultations from ZESCO and ERB Board Members, Dr Chabwera announced that the public hearing for Livingstone had been postponed to February 27 this month while the other ZESCO Tariff review public hearings set for Lusaka and the Copperbelt would take place as scheduled.
