German firm keen to help address TZ power woes
What you need to know:
- An initiative by Mobisol Tanzania which was announced here yesterday, gives hope to thousands of households in a country where only about 36 per cent of the population is connected to the national power grid.
Arusha. Employees of various organisations will now be able to connect their homes with solar energy and pay in instalments on a monthly basis, thanks to a new initiative by the Tanzania subsidiary of a German firm.
An initiative by Mobisol Tanzania which was announced here yesterday, gives hope to thousands of households in a country where only about 36 per cent of the population is connected to the national power grid.
Mobisol Tanzania – which is a subsidiary of Germany’s Mobisol - said here yesterday that the monthly payment will be deducted from employees’ salaries until the entire amount is paid, basing on an agreement between the two as well as with the employer.
“Our focus remains that of reaching out to individuals’ households directly and this includes those on off-the-grid and those within the grid but who want to use solar as a reliable back-up system…with this partnership with various organisations, we hope to connect more and more households,” the company’s chief commercial officer for Mobisol Tanzania, Mr Sjors Martens, said.
The company is in the process of conducting discussions with some selected organisations regarding the scheme, according to its head of corporate sales, Mr Allan Rwechungura.
Focus will be on meeting the needs of teachers, members of the police service, and health workers.
“We are preparing a tailored offer and will deduct the amount directly from their salaries, with the goal of providing all teachers, police officers and health workers in Tanzania with electricity access within a year. We believe with this scheme Mobisol will enable many employees across Tanzania to afford our high quality solar system,” said Mr Rwechungura. Mobisol combines solar energy with an affordable payment plan via mobile phone, comprehensive customer service and innovative remote monitoring technology. The Berlin-based company offers low-income customers in developing nations quality solar home systems that are a clean alternative to unhealthy, environmentally harmful, and expensive fossil fuels.
