Ewura grants firms licences to generate, supply power

[BAK]

Ewura grants firms licences to generate, supply power

By Njonanje Samwel

18th February 2010

The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) board has granted Artumas Group and Partners (Power) Limited and Umoja Light Company licences without applying for them to facilitate execution of the Mtwara Energy Project (MEP).

A statement issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam by Ewura said MEP aimed at providing reliable and affordable power services to Lindi and Mtwara regions from natural gas produced at Mnazi Bay gas fields.

According to the statement, the board had considered the application for generation and distribution of power filed on April 1 and June 3, last year by the two companies.

The statement said Artumas and Umoja had been involved in the generation of electricity in Mtwara since 2007 under provisional licences granted by the authority.

"Under the Electricity Act, 2008 which came into effect on April 1, 2009, Artumas Group and Partners (Power) Limited and Umoja Light Company are not eligible for a licence because they had entered into an agreement with the government to develop the MEP since December 2008, which was before coming into effect of the Electricity Act. 2008," reads the statement in part.

It added that the Act also gave Ewura powers to exempt an operator from the requirements of obtaining a license when the authority deemed it appropriate.

The law further empowered Ewura to subject the exempted person to such terms, conditions and limitations as it deemed appropriate in the circumstances.

"The board of directors has satisfied itself that the applicants are technically and financially capable of carrying out the duties and functions stipulated in the applicable laws and relevant commercial arrangements relevant to the Mtwara Energy Project and consequently granted the operators thereof with exemptions. The exemptions will last for 15 years," explained the statement, adding:
"The board took into account, inter alia, the following: Applicable laws, the attractiveness of the Mtwara Energy Project, comments received from senior officials in the government, the general public, the Consumer Consultative Council, the Government Consultative Council, as well as development partners," it added.

However, the statement said that the exemptions for the two firms did not in any way relieve them of normal regulatory scrutiny or other obligations as stipulated in the laws of the land.

 

[BAK]

Date::2/18/2010Msamaha wa leseni za nishati ufikiriwe upya
Mwananchi

HIVI karibuni Bodi ya Wakurugenzi ya Mamlaka ya Udhibiti wa Huduma za Maji na Nishati nchini (Ewura) ilitoa msamaha wa leseni kwa kampuni za Artuma Group and Partners (Power) na Umoja Light ili ziweze kuendeleza mradi wa nishati ya umeme mkoani Mtwara.

Tunaelewa kwamba hatua hiyo huenda imetolewa kama kivutio kwa kampuni hizo ili ziweze kutoa hudama ya nishati katika eneo hilo la mikoa ya kusini ambalo kwa muda mrefu limekuwa likikabiliwa na tatizo la nishati ya umeme.

Si hivyo tu, bali pia ni kama kichocheo cha kupatikana kwa nishati ya umeme na kusambazwa kwa wananchi wa eneo hilo kwa gharama nafuu zitakazo wawezesha watu wengi kupata huduma hiyo na kusaidia kuamsha maendeleo katika ukanda huo ambao unaonekana kuwa umesahauliwa.

Bodi hiyo imetoa msamaha huo kwa kutumia kigezo kwamba, kampuni hizo zilianza kuzalisha umeme mwaka 2007na kupewa leseni ya muda kabla ya Sheria ya Umeme ya 2008 iliyoanza kutumika Aprili mosi 2009.

Kwa msingi huo kampuni hizo hazikustahili kupewa leseni hiyo kwa vile sheria hiyo haikuwepo na zilipewa mkataba na serikali kuendeleza mradi wa nishati ya umeme wa Mtwara Desemba 2008 kabla ya sheria hiyo haijaanza kutumika.

Ni jambo zuri kuwavutia wawekezaji kwa kuwapunguzia masharti ya uendeshaji ili ufanisi uwe mzuri. Lakini pia inashangaza kwamba watu wanapewa kazi ya kusambaza umeme bila leseni! Umeme ni nishati, hivyo ilitakiwa watoa huduma wapewe leseni ya kuendesha shughuli hiyo nyeti.

Uwajibikaji wa watoa huduma uko katika kudhibitiwa na leseni, hivyo hata kama walianza kutoa huduma kabla ya sheria kuwepo, haimaanishi kuwa wasamehewe labda kama kuna sababu nyingine muhimu sana.

Tunaunga mkono kwa dhati juhudi za serikali kuleta maendeleo mikoa ya Kusini na kuwaondolea kero ya kukosa umeme iliyodumu kwa muda mrefu na kuchangia maendeleo ya eneo hilo kusuasua. Lakini tunadhani si vema kuwasamahe kwenye suala la leseni kwa sababu hiyo ndiyo ina halalisha kuwepo kwao. Ushauri wetu ni kwamba, pamoja na kazi nzuri ya Ewura katika kusimamia shughuli zilizo chini yake tunaomba ifikirie upya juu ya suala nyeti bila kuathiri utendaji wa wawekezaji hao.

 

[debora]

ni hatua nzuri kwa kuwa tanzania tuko nyuma sana wenzetu wako mbali maana infrastructure nyingi ni private owned na hii itasaidia kuondoa monopoly wa taanesco. good progress lakini nina wasiwasi na hiyo exemption????