SALAMU ZA MWAKA MPYA (1)

Taa zinawaka, kelele zimepungua mjini, mvua zimenyesha, umeme umerudi, lakini hicho siyo kipimo cha ufanisi kwa shirika la umeme Tanesco, hiyo ni bahati.
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Ujumbe huo makini nimekutana nao kwenye barua pepe za kimalumbano mtandaoni. Rafiki yangu Majaliwa katutakia heri ya mwaka mpya huku akitathmini ufanisi wa serikali ya awamu ya nne hususan kuhusiana na suala la umeme kama ilivyoandikwa kwenye magazeti hivi karibuni:
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Kwa kweli Tanesco/umeme umekua dosari kubwa sana kwa JK's first year as president . Electricity generation technology is old and the supply and retailing of energy are now over 100 years old kwa hiyo hakuna sababu yoyote inayotulazimisha sisi wa TZ kuteseka kiasi hiki (by the way, when I say this I don't mean just in terms of lost opportunities/inconvenience from rationing but the millions of dollars-probably borrowed dollars - which are being wasted could be better spent in education, health and other essential services including road maintenance and water supplies).
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What TZ needs is an independent regulator to forecast demand/supply and inform the market of future investment opportunities. This will mean some genuine reform to current arrangement for electricity generation and supply in Tanzania. Without genuine reform and long term plans aimed at meeting the growth in demand for electricity we will keep falling back on these short-term and expensive emergency fall-back/stopgap measures kila wakati ukame or plant breakdowns occur.
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Na Hiyo TANESCO as it stands appears to be a wounded beast being used by different players to enhance their standing in the community as they are reliant on the 15 million plus in subsidies from the government (CCM).
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Nauliza jamani kama hao CCM wameshindwa ku-ensure that the company runs effectively and efficiently in the 30+ years that they have had a monopoly on directing board/managerial appointments what makes them think that they can start now?
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While there are good reasons for government ownership for key strategic assets for the benefit of the country it is not clear kwamba TANESCO is actually benefiting from this.
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A good example of a possible way forward is our next door neighbour, Kenya, where the main power generator is well run, with prices regulated by government but the company is listed on the KSE which allows it freedom raise funds and pursue market opportunities without too much interference (see www.kengen.co.ke/index.asp). By way of example, while Kenya is suffering from the same drought as TZ and Uganda, they were able to export power to Uganda to help them in their drought related electricity shortfalls!
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Electricity supply is old technology, inasikitisha kwamba in this day and age - the information age -that we live in sisi waTanzania,who have the right climate for progress which other countries are not blessed with, bado tunababaika na mambo ambayo on the face of it can be dealt with quite easily as they are not insurmountable.
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Lets remember this when we next exercise our democratic rights at the polls.
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I hope you have a "brighter" 2007 - happy new year!
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Salaam
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Majaliwa