The Energy Regulation Board-ERB says it is still waiting for further guidance from the Ministry of Energy concerning the way forward on the implementation of the Cost of Service study findings.
In response to a query from the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, ERB Public Relations Manager Namukolo Kasumpa said the Cost of Service Study was successfully concluded in December 2021.
Kasumpa said the report has since been submitted to the Ministry of Energy for studying and further guidance on the implementation of the findings.
However, efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Energy concerning the findings of the cost of service study proved futile by press time.
The Cost of Service Study was initiated by ERB in 2019 with a contract awarded to Energy Market and Regulatory Consultant – EMRC, a UK based consultancy firm at a total cost of about US$600,000.
The study has been made possible with financing from the African Development Bank – AfDB which will establish the cost of generating, transmitting and distributing power in the most efficient manner and translating the costs into the unit cost of energy for each customer category.
It was sanctioned to provide a paper on which to base future electricity policies and plans to be formulated. Electricity Tariffs are among the factors that the study was expected to analyze and propose recommendations.
Energy experts have urged for technical and professional analysis of the energy sector to ensure quality decision making that would ensure Zambia’s long term interests are safeguarded. Energy remains a key and strategic sector vital for powering Zambia’s development journey.
