KATAVI: THE government, through the Rural Energy Agency (REA), has launched a project to distribute 6.0-kilogramme liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cookers at a subsidised price of 19,500/- to rural communities in the Katavi Region.
A total of 9,765 cookers and associated equipment will be distributed across the three districts of Mpanda, Tanganyika and Mlele.
Each district will receive 3,255 cookers and residents will pay only 19,500/-, with the government covering 50 per cent of the costs.
During the launch of the project and the introduction of Taifa Gas services, Katavi Regional Commissioner Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoko expressed gratitude to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for bringing the initiative to the region.
She noted that the project would help mitigate health risks, prevent harmful practices, protect water sources, preserve the environment and reduce carbon emissions contributing to climate change.
She added that the initiative is part of the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy for 2024-2034, with the government’s goal to ensure that by 2034, 80 per cent of Tanzanians will be using clean cooking energy.
The RC emphasised that the project aims to improve public health and protect the environment in the fight against climate change.
Ms Mrindoko further urged the public to support President Samia’s efforts by purchasing the subsidised cookers, highlighting the President’s deep care for her people and urging citizens to embrace the initiative to safeguard health and improve the environment.
She also called on the Rural Energy Agency (REA) and Taifa Gas, the service provider, to collaborate with local leaders to ensure the project is well understood and effectively implemented.
On his part, REA’s Gender Expert, Dr Joseph Sambali, stressed that the service provider would be responsible for registering residents eligible for the subsidised cookers.
Only individuals with National Identification Authority (NIDA) cards or verifiable numbers would qualify for the subsidy and no individual would be allowed to purchase more than one subsidised cooker.
A cross-section of residents interviewed expressed gratitude to President Samia for bringing the project to the region and pledged to support it by continuing to raise awareness and educate others to achieve the government’s goals.
In May 2023, President Samia launched the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy in Dar es Salaam and called upon the private sector to invest massively in the sector, including technology, to enable every citizen to easily access clean cooking energy.
ALSO READ: Govt increases LPG subsidies, plans to provide 450,000 gas cylinders in 2024/25
The President emphasised that the strategy would not only lower costs but also enhance the country’s efforts to fight climate change. It is estimated that 469,000 hectares of forests are being destroyed each year for firewood and charcoal.
In November 2023, the African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP) global clean cooking energy campaign received a significant boost at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The groundbreaking initiative, championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, was launched on the sidelines of the conference and aims to provide clean cooking technologies to women and girls in Africa to reduce reliance on wood, charcoal and other traditional forms of biomass.
In Africa, nearly 80 per cent of the population uses wood and charcoal for cooking, leading to indoor pollution with devastating health effects on women and children.
President Samia urged fellow African leaders and representatives to accelerate clean cooking solutions across the region and transition 900 million Africans from biomass fuels to more affordable and environmentally friendly alternatives in the coming years.
