GOVERNMENT NODS OPEN ACCESS POLICY ON ELECTRICITY
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichi- lema says the government has approved the Open Access Policy on Electricity and Energy to spur private investment in the sector.
Mr Hichilema says the approved policy is focusing on attracting Independent Power Producers ( IPPs) to invest in the energy sector in view of the electricity deficit the country is experiencing.
He says through this policy, Government wants to bottom up the economy to create opportunities through business and jobs for Zambians.
President Hichilema indicated that Government is tilted towards growing the Zambian economy by whatever means.
The President said this when outgoing British High Commissioner to Zambia, Nicholas Woolley called on him at State House to bid farewell as his tour of duty in Zambia comes to an end.
The President has meanwhile hailed the Zambia- British relations stating that the UK has been a key partner to Zambia in times of need.
Mr Hichilema said Zambia and the UK enjoy a broad and deep friendship based on the two countries' shared goals in areas such as mutual prosperity, global health security, education and climate change.
“Your deep support to our debt restructuring agenda is highly appreciative because it now opens our economy to more opportunities,” noted Mr Hichilema.
He also said that British support towards the country's fight against corruption has helped to build momentum.
“When most Zambians thought that the fight against corruption was faltering, your background support really helped us to stay the course, making Zambians to believe that we were not joking on this matter,” President Hichilema said.
The President has also thanked the British government's support towards the drought situation which has posed a great threat to the country's food security, energy crisis and the threat to economic activities.
"Without a stable energy sector, we can't advance our mining agenda to expand the mining sector there by posing a serious crisis,” he noted.
"We as a country don't want to be in this situation ever again hence our efforts in building resilience and capacities to respond to any future challenges associated with droughts," President Hichilema said.
Speaking earlier, Mr Woolley expressed optimism that his country's support to Zambia's energy sector through the Ministry of Energy will have a positive impact on future occurrences associated with droughts.
And Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mulambo Haimbe assured Mr Woolley that his ministry has put in place a mechanism to ensure a smooth transition from him to the next envoy that will replace him.
Mr Haimbe said the government wants to see consistency in projects that the countries have embarked on so as to nurture growth.
He said as a ministry, they are poised to continue the efforts towards deepening cooperation between the two countries.
Mr Woolley was deployed in Zambia as High Commissioner in 2019 and during his tour of duty helped to mobilise material and financial support to Zambia when the country was hit by the Covid- 19 pandemic and the drought situation.