Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has engaged Rwanda Energy group for assistance in raising funds needed to clear a backlog of 35 000 houses in need of electricity.
ZETDC managing director Engineer Howard Choga said that his organization was riding on the cordial bilateral relations between the two countries to enter into a partnership arrangement with Rwanda Energy Group to raise the funds needed to clear the electricity backlog.
“For the past 15 years, as ZETDC, we have had a sub-economic tariff structure and this is one of the reasons that was negatively impacting on our operational efficiency including attending to faults and undertaking household electricity connections,’ acting managing director Engineer Choga said.
He also mentioned that the date when the electricity programme will be implemented has been established.
” You will be aware that when we ask such amounts of money, we need to be cleared by the ministry of finance for the borrowing certificate… and we have already been issued with a term sheet,” said Eng Choga.
The scope of work for the project involves electricity connections in households where Rwanda will provide some engineers as well as financing for the project while ZETDC procures the equipment as well as recruiting most of the personnel.
Meanwhile, the power utility which has been losing $US9 million every year through vandalism and theft has adopted the drone technology which now enables ZETDC to do technical loss identification, disaster management, environmental impact assessments in the delivery of power projects, asset monitoring and management, situational awareness and short-range surveillance.