SH8BN LOSS ON UNPAID ELECTRICITY BILLS

By Paschal Mbunga, The Citizen Correspondent

Tanga. Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) in the region has incurred a substantial loss of revenue accumulated up to Sh8 billion through unpaid bills from its customers.

The company’s regional manager, Mr Johnson Mwigune, told
reporters in his office at the weekend that the unpaid bills are from ordinary customers including private companies, and others from government departments, institutions and the armed forces.

Mr Mwigune said the huge debt has created a financial gap on Tanesco, thus reducing the purchasing power to renovate some of its old running machines and technology in a move to deliver better services to its customers.

“The unpaid bills are a threat to our existence as a power utility. Let me ask all of our customers who are indebted to us to pay their dues promptly before we take other measures, including sending them to court,” Mr Mwigune said.

The regional manager also said, Tanesco had bought a 500kva transformer which will be installed at Uhuru Park.

He said the old transformer which was fitted there since 1964, has exploded last week.

Elaborating on the on-and-off current power which sometimes is alleged to be the main cause of electric short circuit which lead to domestic device damages, Mwigune said that it is generally believed that Tanesco is mostly the cause of such electric accidents, though it is not so, saying that if it is established that Tanesco was the cause, then the power utility pays compensation without delay.

He insisted on the use of electric devices such as circuit breaker and stabilizers by customers, saying that the appliances can prevent most of the electric circuit occurring in households.

CREDIT: THECITIZEN: SH8BN LOSS ON UNPAID BILLS