Sinkamba wants REA realigned

The opposition Green Party holds the view that the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has not achieved much to ease adverse impacts of energy demand, especially wood and charcoal energy, on the environment.

Green Party President Peter Sinkamba explains that the energy policy proposes that ZESCO and REA be unbundled and realigned to scale-up electrical grid upgrades in urban and rural areas.

Green Party President Peter Sinkamba

Mr. Sinkamba states that the policy furthermore proposes that ZESCO be delegated to execute capital intensive power generation and transmission functions only, including in rural areas.

He believes that REA should be realigned so as to be responsible for all electricity distribution functions of ZESCO.

He also believes that there is need to establish national roof eco-energy programme and grants for provision of supplementary solar energy to public universities, schools, hospitals, stadia, and other infrastructure as well as low cost housing.

Mr. Sinkamba adds that this programme and grants should be executed to ensure the institution has additional energy to supply to consumers besides the hydro power, which at the moment is insufficient, and priority for supply is to industry, hence perpetual power-cuts.

The Green Party President says there is also need to provide stable base-funding for provision of clean-energy through carbon tax revenue collections.