VICTORIAL FALLS: THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) has hailed Tanzania’s bold push to fast-track clean cooking energy, applauding the scrapping of taxes, subsidies on gas cylinders and improved cookstoves, and aggressive public awareness campaigns aimed at driving nationwide adoption.
Speaking during the Ministers’ dialogue on sustainable energy at the SADC Sustainable Energy Week held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe today, the Deputy Minister for Energy, Salome Makamba, said Tanzania aims to achieve 80 per cent clean cooking energy usage by 2034, while the National Energy Compact targets 75 per cent by 2030.
Addressing the members gathered at the dialogue, the minister said that the Tanzanian government has placed special emphasis on institutions serving more than 100 people, including prisons, military camps, schools and major markets by installing clean cooking energy systems, a move described as innovative and impactful.
ALSO READ: Zanzibar sees benefits of the Constituency Development Fund
Elaborating, she said that electricity has now reached all 12,318 villages in Mainland Tanzania, raising electricity access to 85.5 per cent while power generation capacity has reached 4,437 megawatts and is projected to increase to 8,000 megawatts by 2030.
For his part, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi commended Tanzania for leading regional efforts to promote clean cooking energy, noting that the initiative is driving positive social, economic and environmental transformation across all levels of development.
The commemorations were officially opened by Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Constantino Chiwenge, who underscored the importance of African countries harnessing renewable energy resources as a catalyst for economic growth.