NAIROBI: Electricity tariffs are to go up in Rwanda by 35 per cent effective from Tuesday amid water resources scarcity in recent months, an official statement issued Monday by the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) said.
The Rwanda Energy Group (REG), which fixes and regulates tariffs, said that through this increase in electricity prices, residential consumers will from now on pay 182 Rwandan francs (about 0.24 U.S. dollar) per unit while the industries’ owners will pay 126 Rwandan francs. The unit price that was usually applied for both residential consumers and instries was 142 Rwandan francs, it said.
This decision comes a few days after the Rwandan minister of infrastructure, James Musoni, stressed the need for the country to distribute power across key sectors, as the consequences from the deterioration of the power (generation) in recent months across the tiny East African countryt.
In a country where only 23 per cent of the population have access to electricity, and with a growing demand for energy, the Rwanda authorities have embarked on a national campaign dedicated to promote the use of energy-saving appliances that will help to implement the electricity access programme.
In addition to Monday’s decision to rationalize energy by focusing on industries for a period of one month, Rwandan officials are also emphasizing the development of clean energy such as photovoltaic and wind, as well as mini-hydro power to feed into the national grid to address the current blackouts that have continued to last for several hours daily in different parts of Kigali and outlying neighborhoods.
Rwanda’s total population has increased from 7.5 million in 1992 to around 11.3 million in 2015. Officials emphasize that without adequate measures this high population growth rate will continue for decades and intensify the problems facing the energy sector.
By the end of 2016, the East African country is also expected to produce 70 megawatts of power, but officials believe that there is an urgent problem of distribution that should be solved between traditional consumers community and the growing industries.
In Rwanda, estimates indicate that firewood remains the main source of energy, particularly in rural areas, with about 93 per cent of the population of this small Central African country heavily depending on this energy source.
Official reports show that 80 per cent of the electricity generated in Rwanda, mainly by hydroelectric dams, is distributed in the capital city of Kigali and its vicinity, where only 5 percent of the Rwandan population live.
