By Dorcas Rumano
Cabinet has considered and approved the National Renewable Energy Policy which was presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Mangaliso Ndlovu, who is the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Industrialization and Export Development.
Presenting the 8th Weekly Cabinet Matrix yesterday, Minister said Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said the renewable energy sector in Zimbabwe comprises solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass energy sources.
According to the Weekly Cabinet Matrix, the National Renewable Energy Policy seeks to establish market-oriented measures and regulatory instruments for the development of the renewable energy sector in Zimbabwe.
The policy also seeks to address the barriers to the uptake of renewable energy in the country and to achieve an installed renewable energy capacity consistent with the country’s projected energy requirements under Vision 2030.
The policy will promote investment in the renewable energy sector and provide the necessary guidelines, incentives, standards, procurement and financing mechanisms for promoting the development of off-grid projects which have the potential to increase electricity access in rural areas as well as to promote the manufacturing of renewable energy equipment in the country as well as local skills development in that regard.
Minister Mutsvangwa added that the Policy, if implemented, will go a long way in resolving current energy problems besetting the country and negative ripple effects thereof in the entire economy.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy and Power Development, Advocate Fortune Chasi will be touring informal businesses in most parts of Harare to have an insight on how informal traders are illegally connecting electricity with a view to curbing such leakages.
Also as a measure to improve supply of electricity in the country, the Government has recently increased electricity tariff for domestic consumers from an average of ZWL9.86c/kWh to an average of ZWL27c/kWh which is approximately USc3/kWh which is subsidized while tariff for Non-Exporting businesses has been increased from an average of ZWL9.86c/kWh to an average of ZWL45c/kWh which is approximately USc5/kWh.
