Mmegi

Gov’t weighs options as tariffs become ‘unsustainable’

Under pressure: Local generation accounts for just under two-thirds of demand PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI
Under pressure: Local generation accounts for just under two-thirds of demand PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI

The Minerals and Energy ministry is reviewing a Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) tariff study which will chart the path to cost-reflective tariffs, as government says continuing to subsidise electricity is “increasingly unsustainable”.

Whilst consumers, particularly households, believe the cost of electricity is high, high local generation costs and escalating imports, mean the current tariffs are a fraction of the true cost paid by the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC).

Government has thus been pouring in billions of pula over the years to plug the gap and restrain tariff adjustments from what they need to be to reach cost-reflective level.

Editor's Comment
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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