By MAIMBOLWA  MULIKELELA –

THE Government in collaboration with the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) has developed the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff (REFIT) policy for Zambia.
This is aimed at creating an enabling environment for both public and private investors to effectively participate in the development of the renewable energy sector.
Mines, Energy and Water Development deputy Minister Charles Zulu said the development of the REFIT policy would assist countries like Zambia to upscale the utilisation of renewable energy technologies.
“It is therefore, my Government’s decision to develop the REFIT policy in order to create the much needed conduscve environment for the effective thriving as well as fulfilment of the needs of the renewable energy industry,” he said.
Mr Zulu said this during the stakeholder’s validation workshop on the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff policy in Lusaka yesterday.
He said the use of renewable energy was increasingly becoming important in the energy mix of many countries including Zambia.
“It should be noted that in the back drop of the abundance of energy resources the country was endowed with, the energy sector has continued to face a number of challenges such as lack of adequate power supply to drive the economic development of the country.
“None existence of enabling policy to unlock renewable energy technologies and high cost of equipment for renewable energy technology development,” he said.
Mr Zulu said these challenges have contributed to low levels of access to electricity especially in the rural areas which currently stands at about four per cent. USAID Zambia economic growth team leader Anna Toness said REFIT had the power to transform the energy landscape of the country by incentivising greater production of renewable energy in ways that most efficiently used.
“It is a mechanism that reduces price volatility in the sector and will significantly increase the development of renewable energy,” she said