Lawmaker Chanda calls on govt to creatively fund solar energy for the poor

Sunday Chanda, Member of Parliament for Kanchibiya Constituency, has called on the government to make affordable solar systems available to support those living below the poverty line.

Chanda’s appeal comes in response to data from the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), which indicated that approximately 54.4 percent of Zambians live below the poverty line.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Chanda noted that many households, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, struggled with the high upfront costs associated with solar energy installation.

“The Reality is poor households face energy poverty,” he stated.

Chanda acknowledged the government’s efforts to improve access to electricity but pointed out that over 60 percent of Zambia’s population remained off the grid, with access rates in rural areas as low as 4.4 percent.

He highlighted the harsh consequences of energy poverty, including difficulties for children studying after dark, inadequate storage for food and medicine, and limited economic productivity.

He also addressed the worsening situation caused by power outages and load-shedding, which affected households and small businesses.

“Solar power is an excellent solution, but the upfront costs for solar panels, inverters and battery storage systems remain prohibitively high for most poor households,” Chanda said.

Chanda further said the average cost of a basic solar home system was estimated to be between K12,000 and K20,000, which was far beyond the reach of many Zambians who live on less than K1,500 per month.

Given these circumstances, he called on the government to adopt a bold and innovative approach to solar energy.

“Given this context, we urgently call on the Government to take a bold and innovative approach to solar energy by developing affordable, flexible financing models that provide poor households with access to solar energy,” he added.

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