Geita — The Government has allocated 5.64bn/- in the 2022/23 financial year to the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) to improve the electricity services in Geita region.

The Tanesco's Geita Regional Manager Eng Grace Ntungi presented the budget recently during the Regional Council Committee (RCC) meeting for the half of this financial year.

She said the budget is set for improving electricity infrastructures, and improving electricity accessibility.

She explained that by December 31, 2022, about 34 projects were implemented, with the biggest priority being on big customers iat mining areas and factories, and areas with no access to power.

"Tanesco is in process to implement the Geita-Nyakanazi strategic project to construct a 220kv high voltage line.

"This project will also involve supply of electricity to the villages near the project where a total of four villages and 14 townships will benefit where about 7500 new customers will be supplied with electricity.

"The current electricity service is 95 per cent satisfactory. There are various challenges that prevent us from reaching 100 per cent, including the wear and tear of technical structures that can cause errors," she said.

She said that for the financial year 2021/22, Tanesco in Geita Region was allocated 8.8bn/- to implement a total of 148 projects of which 120 projects have been completed while 28 projects are still under implementation.

She said up to December 31, 2022, the region had 84,336 electricity customers, among them 84,241 small customers, 77 medium customers and nine large customers, with the highest electricity demand was 20.6 megawatts.