TANESCO still to provide power to Singida horticulture products factory

TANZANIA Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) is yet to supply power to the newly constructed Singida Horticulture products factory whose construction was completed in September, last year.

TANESCO’s failure to connect power to the factory Gumanga Horticulture processing products that has been built by a non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Harvestas despite the Singida Regional Authority and concerned parties requesting the power utility to provide power to the factory.

The Singida regional administrative Secretary (RAS), Dr Angelina Lutambi, expressed her concern during a Helvetas steering committee meeting held here yesterday with regard to TANESCO’s failure to fix power to Gumanga Horticulture Processing Factory.

“As a Helvetas steering committee Chairperson, I have several times been writing letters to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals requesting power connection to the six small industries in Singida, where three of them are funded by a non-governmental organization (NGO) Helvetas Swiss intercooperation through EU-KUWAKI project, but I have not yet received a response to date,” said Dr Lutambi. TANESCO in Singida Region wrote a letter to the Mkalama District Council’s executive director indicating 20m/- was needed for the project’s execution including VAT.

The Mkalama District Council’s Executive Director, Eng Godfrey Sanga, said that due to this cost it means the district council is the one which will bear the cost because its people was in dire need of power. He noted that it should be clear that Mkalama District Council is government institution, therefore he queried why the council should pay VAT.

He hailed efforts by government and Helvetas for these initiatives to improve horticulture products in Singida, promising that the baseline should start where Helvetas ends and district councils should follow other farmers to replicate this model.

Eng Sanga went on saying that there is need for Tanesco to make prompt moves to connect power to Gumanga where the factory is ready at 100 per cent rather than delaying because farmers and donors have lost hope because of the delay.

The Helvetas Swiss intercooperation’s Assistant Director, Mr Daniel Kalimbia, said that Gumanga Horticulture products Processing Factory was completed in September, last year, to date the Factory has no power. He said that this act has demoralised the investors to an extent that they have refused to come again to Gumanga because of the nasty experience they got of not getting power for their project.