*FIGHT INEQUALITY ALLIANCE URGES GOVERNMENT TO RETHINK ENERGY SUBSIDIES*
Lusaka, Sunday (May 5, 2024)
MEDIA STATEMENT
Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) Zambia, says the removal of subsidies on energy and subsequent increase in electricity tariffs and fuel pump prices, perpetuates inequality.
FIA Zambia National Coordinator, Mputa Ngalande, said small scale businesses rely on electricity but are already struggling with 8 hours of loadshedding, which is another inequality.
Mr. Ngalande said ZESCO is further not sticking to the schedule as promised, thereby affecting small scale businesses.
He said electricity tariffs increase will disadvantage small scale businesses such as barbarshops, saloons and welders.
Mr. Ngalande said mines are owing ZESCO a lot of money as they consume more than ordinary people, hence the need to protect citizens.
“We are taking away more from the population. Consumption of electricity from small scale businesses and homes is not as much as compared to the mines. If we look at multinational corporations and how much they owe ZESCO, it is huge but ordinary people continue to be on the receiving end of policies,” he said.
The FIA Zambia National Coordinator said bad policies like the ones on energy, keep pushing people that are already living on the frontlines of inequality, to more poverty.
“This is because people need to pay more for transport because subsidies were removed on fuel. We also need to pay more for electricity. We urge Authorities to reconsider some policies to implement those that speak to cushioning citizens which is the major responsibility of the Government,” he said.
Mr. Ngalande said Government has a responsibility to give breathing space to citizens from economic crises happening currently.
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