Stop grumbling and pay your debts, Tanesco told
By Mkinga Mkinga
The Citizen Reporter
SOURCE: The Citizen News Paper
Dar es Salaam. Tanesco should honour its contract with power supplier Songas and pay its debts, the government declared yesterday.
Speaking on the phone from Britain, Energy and Minerals Minister Sospeter Muhongo expressed surprise that Tanesco had failed to live up to its obligations. “I know Tanesco has a contract with Songas,” Prof Muhongo told The Citizen. “It should stick to it.”
Tanesco owes Songas Sh80 billion ($51 million) in outstanding bills covering the past six months. Songas has threatened to switch off Tanesco’s power supply if the state-owned firm does not pay up.
Prof Muhongo said the government was not involved in the transaction. “I wonder why the ministry should intervene when the contract is between the two,” he added. “You should go back to Tanesco and they should not escape from their duty…..I do not know how much the public utility owes Songas.”
Songas supplies about a quarter of the electricity Tanesco passes on to its own customers. Should it go ahead with the threat, most of the country will be plunged into darkness. According to Mr Chris Ford, managing director of Songas, the firm needs the money to maintain its facilities and it may have to shut down if it does not receive payment soon.
Tanesco Acting Managing Director Felchismi Mramba admitted that there was an outstanding debt but maintained that some of it had been cleared though he did not have precise figures. He added: “I understand that we have a contract with Songas but it is not proper to talk about the details in the media….we are bound by the contract. It’s true that we owe Songas billions and there is no way we can run away from that fact.”
NANI MKWELI HAPA .........???
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