Dr Doto Biteko, the deputy prime minister and Energy minister, issued this affirmation in Dar es Salaam yesterday at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the Water, Energy and Minerals ministry of Zanzibar to cement collaborations in that area.
It covers research, policy development, law amendments, data management, expertise sharing and building capacity on improved management and supervision of the energy sector as a whole, he said.
The MoU is part of efforts for the realisation of the national clean cooking strategy climaxing 2033, to realize 80 percent use of clean cooking fuels in households countrywide, he explained.
Implementing the strategy needs building public awareness to transform people’s mindsets, encouraging them to adopt clean cooking energy and protect people’s health, he stated.
The ministry is undertaking to implement the strategy in various parts of the Mainland where in collaboration with the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), initiatives like distributing gas stoves. The plans is to widen the drive to Zanzibar, to be provided with the cooking stoves and user instructions, he further noted.
Ministries responsible for energy and their institutions in both the Mainland and Zanzibar are developing synergies in various fields to enhance productivity and efficiency in energy sector management and development for economic and social uplift, he elaborated.
“We are all aware of the importance of reliable, safe and cheap energy in the development of any nation,” he said, citing the development of agro-processing industries.
These industries would take up the processing of agricultural products, fishing, breeding, mining, forestry and others, thus requiring reliable energy supply. In addition, the provision of good social services including health, education, clean water, communication and transport requires access to reliable and affordable energy,” he explained.
“This is why the two ministries had to join forces through various collaborations to ensure that expectations of all stakeholders are met and the energy sector is well managed, operated and developed to increase productivity and efficiency."
Executives and staff in both parts of the Union must synchronise their work to ensure that all the goals highlighted in the MoU are reached, he stated, pointing out that the power deficit in the country has declined from 460 megawatts to 240MW “and all will be well in the near future.”
Shaibu Hassan Kaduara, his ministerial counterpart in Zanzibar, praised President Samia Suluhu Hasaan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi for having positive mindsets helping to increase collaborations between ministries and institutions on both sides of the Union, thus accelerating development.
“This MoU is going to cement our relations and collaborations which have been there for years, adding more effort in research, data sharing and capacity building to further address various gaps in the sector and stimulate development,” he added.
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