A sad reality...29 Dec 2018 17:52
Tanzania’s state-owned utility Tanesco, for example, heavily subsidizes its power sector. A 2007 World Bank report estimated Tanesco was operating at an annual loss of USD $50 million per year, selling power at US$c7 per kWh, compared with an average cost of US$c10 per kWh. By 2017, Tanesco had debts of $363 million, could not afford to generate new capacity and was seeking a loan of $200 million from the World Bank to cover old debts. In 2018, the World Bank approved a $455 million loan for Tanzania’s power problem, and, in the same year, Credit Suisse loaned the government $200 million for its power sector. Still, the utility operates at a loss — losing about SH265.30 per unit, or about US$c12 per unit, and its overall indebtedness has only increased, according to The Citizen.