Minister of Energy, Hon. January Makamba has explained that in June this year there will be a national launch of the National Vision to move to the use of clean energy for cooking and the Strategic Plan for the implementation of the Vision which will outline various issues including the steps that the Government will take to enable 80 percent of Tanzanians to use clean energy for cooking by 2033.
Minister Makamba said this on March 21, 2023 in the city of Dodoma while giving education on clean energy for cooking to the Members of the Central Council of the United Women of Tanzania (UWT) as well as the Chairmen and Secretaries of the UWT of the Regions and Districts who will help to give impetus to the issue and distribute relevant education at the level of Wards and Branches throughout the country.
“Statistics show that, only eight percent of Tanzanians are using clean energy for cooking so, Hon. President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has already given instructions that within 10 years 80 percent of Tanzanians should be using clean energy for cooking, she has directed us to create a vision, strategy and vision to also establish a fund for clean energy for cooking to set up a subsidy that will enable low-income citizens to afford the price of gas. this is a big task but it is possible and the work is going on.” Makamba said.
He explained that the Sixth Phase Government has decided to address the issue of clean energy for cooking as one of its efforts to improve the lives of Tanzanians, especially women.
Makambaa said that the well-being of a Tanzanian woman is endangered by the way she searches for energy and the type of energy she cooks, “Experts say that an hour spent in the kitchen is equivalent to 300 cigarettes, now here you are depending on where the well-being will come from?, fortunately the President has seen this and the Ministry of Energy , issue Cooking energy is the number one thing to implement to bring better prosperity in the country.”
He has also explained to the delegates the various effects resulting from the use of dirty cooking energy such as firewood, where he mentioned that these effects include diseases in the respiratory system, dangerous environments when looking for firewood, dangerous animals and the effects on studies for girls because instead of spend a long time studying, most of the time they spend looking for firewood for cooking.
In order to ensure that the work of promoting clean energy for cooking is done effectively, Minister Makamba has given 400 cylinders of cooking gas to UWT in every region in the country as well as 1500 cylinders to UWT Headquarters so that they can use it in the promotion of clean energy for cooking in the areas theirs.
On her part, the Chairperson of UWT, Mary Chatanda thanked the Minister of Energy for providing the education that the Members will use to encourage the use of clean energy at the grassroots level.
The official guest at the meeting was the Vice Chairman of the Chama cha Mapinduzi ( CCM), Tanzania Mainland, Ndg. Abdulrahman Kinana. (Source – https://www.nishati.go.tz/news/dira-ya-taifa-ya-kuhamia-katika-nishati-safi-ya-kupikia-kuzinduliwa-mwezi-juni)