YALUMA

By HELEN ZULU-
GOVERNMENT has said the rural population is unable to participate in economic growth due  due to limited access to electricity.
Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma said only 8.8 per cent of the rural population had access to electricity countrywide and  this made them unable to participate in the communication revolution and economic growth that mobile phones had created in the world.?Mr Yaluma said this in a speech read for him by the assistant director in the department of energy Armed Simwanza at the official launch of the world panel mobile phone solar charging solution in Lusaka yesterday.
He noted that over the last decade, Zambia and other surrounding countries had been suffering from a substantial power deficit because the demand for electricity had outstripped the supply, lending to a new challenge of load shedding.
“Our current statistics show that only 8.8 per cent of the rural?population have access to electricity countrywide.?I am also aware that the majority of the rural dwellers have to often travel several kilometres simply to charge their phones,” he said.?Mr Yaluma said the launch of the world panel mobile phone solar charging solution would help to mitigate the power shortage effects because the people would be able to charge their phones and other devices no matter where they were located.
He stated that the introduction of the Solar Mobile Charger would help bring about an inclusive society in which everyone would have an opportunity to have access to renewable source of energy.
Mr Yaluma further added that the solar mobile charger would afford Zambians particularly those that are not connected to the national electricity grid an opportunity to charge their phones and always stay connected.
He said this would come as a relief to Zesco that had been under pressure to meet the nation’s ever growing demand for electricity.?Government had recently contracted a company to roll out the?installation of 169 cell phone towers in the remotest parts of the country to bridge the ever widening need for mobile communication.
Founder of the World Panel mobile phone solar charging solution Professor John Anderson said the solution was made for people who had no access to electricity saying he was happy to have brought the technology to Zambia.
Prof Anderson who is also a solar expert and entrepreneur said the project would help Zambians have access to affordable phone charging solution regardless of location.
He said his passion through the project was aimed at empowering people, especially those in rural areas as the charger was meant for people who have challenges accessing electricity.?Meanwhile, World Panel Zambia Limited executive director Jacob Sikazwe said he was delighted by Government’s efforts of partnering with the private sector in ensuring that Zambia became a choice investment destination.
Mr Sikazwe also paid tribute to the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the American Embassy for the support rendered toward the successful launch of the Solar Panel Charging solution.?The launch was done by the World Panel Zambia Limited and World Panel from the United States.