DODOMA: THE Rural Energy Agency (REA) has allocated 10bn/- for distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) gas cylinders, stoves and their equipment in rural areas in the form of subsidies for this financial year.
Speaking in Dodoma, REA Director General, Engineer Hassan Saidy when presenting the agency’s report to the Deputy Minister of Energy, Ms Judith Kapinga, said that between 200,000 to 500,000 cylinders are expected to be distributed in rural areas, depending on the level of subsidy that will be provided.
“The goal of the government to implement the project through REA is to encourage citizens to use clean, safe and natural energy for cooking in their areas,” he explained.
He explained that REA is implementing a project to supply natural cooking gas in Lindi and Coastal regions through the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), where the agreement has been signed and the application for initial funds is at the Ministry of Finance for review.
“This agreement has a total of 6.8bn/-, where it is expected to connect 980 citizens with cooking energy in the areas of Mnazi Mmoja in Lindi Region and Mkuranga in Coast Region,” he said.
He said that, in this financial year (2023/24), REA has allocated 18.5bn/- to enable TPDC to construct natural gas supply infrastructure in the areas around corridor of the main pipeline to transport natural gas passing through the regions of Mtwara, Lindi and Coast, so that people living in those areas can use natural gas for cooking.
He said that the agency also aims at building a project to install cooking systems in institutions that serve more than 300 people, where 100 institutions will benefit with this system.
Eng Saidy also said that the project is part of the implementation of the instructions given by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, when opening the Cooking Energy Conference held in Dar es Salaam, November 2022.
He noted that the government through REA expects to distribute 70,000 stoves made with innovative technology to reduce the use of wood and charcoal as well as reduce environmental destruction through a grant of six million US dollars provided by the World Bank.
Deputy Minister Kapinga visited the REA Headquarters in Dodoma and spoke the agency management, this being her first visit to the agency since she was appointed to the post.
