Biteko: Tanzanians want reliable electricity, not excuses

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr Doto Biteko has demanded the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) employees to deliver collectively in ensuring citizens are efficiently connected to reliable and stable power.

Dr Biteko made the statement on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, during an introductory event organised by TANESCO to welcome him after he was recently appointed by  President Samia Suluhu Hassan to serve as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy.

Dr Biteko, who prior to the recent appointment was the Minister for Minerals, urged every employee to rethink and get committed to make the country achieve sufficient power supply, saying citizens want concrete action not excuses.

“It is the time for every TANESCO employee at his/her department to bring the desired output, not words. We must deal with issues, not personality, the issue here for the country to have sufficient electricity,” Dr Biteko said.

Dr Biteko said that he was well aware that some employees in the ministry of energy’ entities including TANESCO have been showcasing a tendency of fear of administration restructuring, whenever a new minister or director is appointed, insisting that they should not worry.

The deputy premier told the employees to avoid dwelling on personalities and instead keep working hard to ensure power stability in the country.

He noted that if the employees focused on issues, it would certainly be easier to be in a good record for promotion especially when one delivers to expectations.

Furthermore, he called upon TANESCO employees in collaboration with the ministry to devise workable solutions to address various challenges they are facing, while maintaining integrity, honesty and patriotism for the company to have an enduring good reputation.

To enhance workplace unity, he urged the company management including director and regional managers to play a unifying role of connecting their employees as they share a common goal of making the company supply reliable and stable power, which is vital to national prosperity.

Dr Biteko thanked TANESCO’s Director, Mr Maharage Chande for a warm reception to welcome him, promising to maintain good rapport with all employees through constructive inter-conversation, objective being to improve the energy sector.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Eng Felchesmi Mramba commended President Samia for a notable appointment in the Ministry of Energy whereby the minister is a Deputy Prime Minister noting that the moves target on strengthening performance of the ministry.