Maravi

Milupi urges govt to seek alternate energy sources

Milupi urges govt to seek alternate energy sources
By Florence Bupe
Thursday March 27, 2008 [03:00]

LUENA independent Member of Parliament Charles Milupi has suggested that the duty exemption on energy saving equipment should be accompanied by other measures like continued exploration for alternative energy sources. The government has suspended duty on energy equipment to mitigate the impact of power cuts currently being experienced in the country.

“The Ministry of Finance, in dealing with the new tax regime for the mines, should prioritise directing funds towards power generation enhancement as a matter of urgency,” he said.

Milupi said the policy on uranium, as a source of electricity, should also be hastily established.

“Much as we appreciate that certain safety measures have to be observed in the use of sensitive materials such as uranium, we also need to take into account the benefits we can derive from positively utilising these materials for example in the generation of electricity,” he said.

Milupi further called on the government to augment Zambia’s energy interconnector with energy surplus countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“By 2009, this country will run into an even more serious power crisis, and there is need to take advantage of our vast resources and the potential we can derive from there. For instance, the Luapula River has the potential to generate up to 200 mega watts.

We have water resources that provide us with massive opportunities for power generation, and ultimately increase the country’s revenue base,” said Milupi.

Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, ENERGY

posted by MrK @ 8:15 PM