The Zambian President has recently reversed a sharp increase in electricity tariffs aimed at generating revenue for investment in additional supply, saying the hike had ended up hurting the poor.
Zambia’s state power utility Zesco Ltd. on Dec 3 increased the average price of electricity to 10.35 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) from 6 U.S. cents per KWh.
According to presidential spokesman, Amos Chanda, “The president directed Zesco to revert to the old tariffs until measures are put in place to ensure that poor consumers are protected”.
Mining companies were unaffected by the increase because they have separate bulk power supply agreements with Zesco and power supplier Copperbelt Energy Corp. (CEC).
