Daressalaam, Tanzania — In a shift to ensure energy accessibility, Tanzania is implementing projects that will involve construction of 33 kilovolt power line covering 35 kilometers.

This has been revealed during the on going parliament sessions debating Tanzania's budget estimates in Dodoma by the deputy minister for energy and minerals, Mr George Simbachawene.

The projects are among those financed by the Millennium Corporation Challenge (MCC). They will involve the construction of 0.4 kilovolt line straddling 14 kilometers, Simbachawene said. Simbachawene said the installation of electrical cables will immediately start when electrical poles placement exercise on routes is accomplished.

"About 87.7% of the poles in the 33 kilovolt route are already in place," he said before adding that in the next route, the 0.4 kilovolt which is about 86.54% of the required poles have been installed.

He urged legislators to 'cooperate' when Ministry's annual budget estimates are tabled. "This will pave way for the work of supplying electricity to the district headquarters with no electricity to take off."

Meanwhile, the permanent secretary in the same ministry, Mr. Eliakim Maswi refuted claims by the local media that, there will be power rationing in the country in the near future due to the decrease of water level in hydro-powers dams which are mainly dependable for power generation.

"We want to assure the public that there will be no power rationing since the country has capacity to produce 1,375.5 MW, however the available capacity is 873 MW," Maswi said.

He added the actual demand for electricity in the country is estimated to be between 650 MW and 720 MW and emphasized that the country has never gone beyond 720 MW.