Minister clarifies on REA power in rural areas

Dar es Salaam. The government has refuted claims that power being supplied by the Rural Energy Agency (REA) is not enough to be used for big business operations compared to that of urban areas.

This was said by the minister for Energy, Dr Medard Kalemani, when speaking to residents of Bunda and Serengeti districts in Mara Region as well as residents of Bariadi in Simiyu Region on September 19, 2018, during his official visit to the regions.

“I would like to give assurance that REA energy is sufficient to run big industries besides other uses such as lighting,” said the minister.

According to a statement sent to the media, Dr Kalemani is quoted as saying that some people were claiming that power supplied in rural areas was not as ‘strong’ as that which was supplied in urban areas, hence was unable to support industries.

He clarified that the government’s aim of supplying power to rural areas through REA was to ensure that rural energy, apart from being used for petty jobs and purposes, was also used on major economic activities including running small and big industries to improve individual as well as the country’s economy.

To attain the industrial economy, Dr Kalemani said the government was determined that industries should be established in rural areas where he said, many resources were available and that the state was well aware that electricity was the engine of attaining the industrial economy.

The minister further said the government’s other aim of rural electrification was to enable big economic activities to be carried out in such areas to lessen or completely address the challenge of many people, the youth in particular, who migrate to urban areas to ‘find a better life’.

“We want the youth, who are the main power of our nation, to remain in their villages and conduct development activities,” said the minister.

The minister also used his official tour to mobilise residents including women and the youth to use rural energy to the maximum to carry out different entrepreneurial activities such as operating salons, welding works, flour milling machines and other development activities.

During his tour, Dr Kalemani was able to officially switch on electricity in the lab and surgical buildings of Serengeti District Hospital, Bukama and Nyangere villages in Bunda District, Itilima Secondary School and Luguru Village in Bariadi District, Simiyu Region.