Financial institutions urged to cushion consumers ...

Financial institutions urged to cushion consumers of solar products

Zesa cancels US$217 million deals – Nehanda Radio — Eng Magombo (L)

Audrey Galawu and Bridget Mabanda

The secretary for Energy and Power development, Engineer Gloria Magombo, has highlighted the need for financial institutions to support consumers to make sure solar products are available on long-term leases.

She was speaking during the World Consumers Rights Day celebrations at the Harare International Conference Centre on Wednesday.

Eng Magombo said government had cushioned consumers by removing duty on the importation of solar products into the country.

“What we also need as a country is to make sure that our financial services recognise the need to support consumers so that the products can be available on a long-term lease procurement plan.

“We are working on a plan especially for solar water heaters where we have done a feasibility study to see how we can support some of our financial institutions so that people buy solar water heaters maybe over two years and they will be paying slowly.

“We want to encourage other financial institutions including micro-finance to see value in doing that. For small off-grid systems we already have “Pay as you go” which is being provided by the private sector where, if you go to the rural communities, they pay on a monthly basis and they pay-off the ownership of the system over a year or two years.”

Eng Magombo said that ZERA and South African Revenue Services have defined products’ quality in terms of solar products to ensure that when consumers procure solar accessories, especially the solar panel, they will last longer.

She also urged consumers to support service providers in order to have quality services.

“As much as it is important for consumers to have rights, it is also essential for consumers to pay their due diligence to service providers like Zesa so that they can, in turn, receive quality services and also for the upkeep of their equipment,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has said it is an invaluable inclusion for the consumers’ voices to be a part of the energy discussions as it is important to the consumer agenda.

CCZ director, Ms Rose Mpofu described the recent symposium her organization organized as a catalyst for action.

Consumers should exercise their rights — CCZ | The Chronicle — Ms Rose Mpofu

She said the 2022 events in the energy sector were a forceful reminder of the difficulty of ensuring affordability and security in the transition to clean energy.

“Only last year global energy prices were estimated to rise by an average of 50%, directly impacting the lives of many-a-house-hold.

“This led many to drastically change their lifestyles and expenditure choices with regards to paying for energy. Naturally, the impacts of these developments have not spared consumer house-holds in the developing world, inclusive of Zimbabwe,” she said.

Ms Mpofu said the present-day challenge is to help consumers through present difficulties whilst enabling a rapid transition that guarantees sustainability, security, and affordability in the long term.

She added that sustainable development is achieved through the use of sustainable energy and by ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy can no longer be in doubt.

“Just like most developing countries, Zimbabwe faces an energy supply deficit. It is our hope then that, as we also delve into this exchange of ideas today, we appreciate that our country is heavily reliant on fossil-based fuels and this form of energy is unsustainable in the face of climate change,” said Ms Mpofu.