- PS Mangeni warns power delays are putting MSME projects at risk
- Young entrepreneurs in value addition need reliable electricity to run machinery
- Government urged to consider solar and other alternative power sources
Government spending on enterprise projects will come to nothing if the power supply stays unreliable, State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Principal Secretary Susan Mangeni has warned. She says late connections and frequent disconnections are leaving projects idle even after heavy investment.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Mangeni voiced open frustration over the problem. She questioned how one arm of government could pour in large sums while another puts obstacles in the way. According to her, projects cannot bear fruit without dependable electricity, whatever amount is spent on them.
Her concern centred on young entrepreneurs, many of whom are in value addition. They need machinery to process their goods, she explained, and that machinery cannot run without steady power. “Look at the NYOTA pipeline which you have created of entrepreneurs. Most of them are in value addition,” she told the MPs, adding that they need a reliable source of energy.
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She painted a worrying picture of what lies ahead. In her view, the future of support for young people looks bleak unless energy is treated as a key enabler. If such support is not deliberately provided, she said, the Government’s efforts risk amounting to nothing.
The PS admitted that the issue had stirred strong feelings in her. “That’s why you see me I’m being emotional about this area,” she said, calling it a big problem for the sector.
Even so, she pointed to a possible way out. Solar plants, she said, could offer a more reliable source of energy for MSME projects. With financing from Parliament, her department would also want to invest in alternative sources of power, so that enterprises are no longer left at the mercy of delayed connections and outages.
By Benedict Aoya
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