Zambia is mulling plans to double electricity tariffs as it considers expensive imports to cover a deficit from its hydropower plants affected by a drought.
The country has an electricity shortfall of more than 700 megawatts and intends to buy 300 megawatts from South Africa. This was revealed by the Zambian Energy Minister Matthew Nkhuwa while addressing the media in Lusaka. He said:
I think it will be maybe double the amount because we are paying half the amount that we are supposed to pay for electricity in Zambia.
The country’s state-owned power utility, ZESCO, is said to be still drafting the proposed new tariff by the government.
ZESCO sought to more than triple power tariffs in March but the move was blocked by the government. The last tariff review was 75 per cent in 2017.