Energy security dominates as President Hichilema meets industry stakeholders

President Hakainde Hichilema has held a meeting with the Energy Ministry and agencies to find solutions to challenges in the energy sector.

The Southern African nation early this year became a net exporter of electricity  in the region.

But recently, the country’s Energy Minister ,Peter Kapala announced a six-hour load shedding due to low water levels at Kariba Dam, shared power generation source with Zimbabwe.

Hichilema said posted on his Facebook page that he was  holding a roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Energy, Energy Regulation Board (ERB) ZESCO, Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and other stakeholders in the energy sector.

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He said among many other matters  on the table  are identifying challenges and exploring ways on how to unlock rigidities around the sector.

“We are urging the stakeholders in this industry to ensure the country is energy sufficient and with surplus in order to drive the engine of our economy at full throttle and also to service our domestic consumers and export the surplus,”  Hichilema said.

He said with  hindsight, proper planning, prudence and discipline in  the country should have attained the above benchmarks years ago.

“We should consider ourselves late and consequently expedite this process with urgency,” Hichilema said.

He said no one would stand in the way to achieve the vision to provide efficient energy services to the Zambian people.