GOVERNMENT’S efforts to fight climate change has received a new boost after the launch of the Tanzania Clean Cooking Project (TCCP) which will provide grants and technical assistance to private companies that are promoting clean cooking solutions in the country.
The project worth 3.7 million US dollars (about 8bn/-) will be run for three years by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) in support of the Swedish government through its embassy in Tanzania.
Through the operation, the project expects to support between 10 and 15 small and growing businesses that will create around 1,500 new direct jobs.
Speaking during the event, AECF Chief Executive Officer Victoria Sabula said they are expecting to issue the grants amounting to between 50,000 and 400,000 US Dollars (116.3m/- and 930m/-) depending on the size of project.
“The aim is to support business and creativity in helping the government and the country in promoting an equal system, combating climate change as well as development at individual and national level,” she said.
Attending the event, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Energy Eng Felchesmi Mramba said the initiative complements the government’s determination to provide sustainable, adequate, reliable and affordable energy for all.
“The government through Tanzania National Development Vision 2025 recognises that the energy sector is an enabler and is vital for the stimulation of local and foreign investment to create wealth and income-generating activities,” he said.
He explained that the government through Rural Energy Agency (REA) has also developed a cooking energy master plan with the aim to guide efforts related to access to improved and clean cooking options in rural areas.
“The ministry has set an ambitious plan of transitioning more than 70 per cent of the population to modern solutions by 2030, and to achieve this, we need an exponential increase in investments in the sector,” he added.
Eng Mramba was optimistic that the programme will help to accelerate the adoption of clean solutions by rural and marginalised communities in urban and peri urban areas across the country.
On his part, Head of Cooperation at the embassy of Sweden in Tanzania Sandra Diesel said the financing aims to de-risk companies to venture into underserved markets and enhance affordability of clean cooking solutions for at least 60,000 households.
“We believe the fund can help to develop new sectors and we are convinced that the private sector has a lot to contribute both financially and in terms of innovative capacity,” she said.
According to her, the initiative will help to reduce the deforestation level that stands at an average of 460,000 hectares per year.
Over the course of 13 years, AECF has supported over 375 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 30 million lives, created over 27,000 direct jobs, and leveraged 771 million US dollars in matching funds.
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