President Edgar Lungu says power supply is the heartbeat that pushes the blood of the economy.
“Energy is one of the key enablers of economic diversification and job creation.
“In this regard my government is committed to facilitating access to clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy for our people,” he says.
He adds that his hope is to achieve a ‘Smart Zambia’ status and turn the country into a net exporter of electricity.
“We are working hard to reduce loadshedding and increase productivity across industries,” adds Lungu.
His sentiments come at the time the country is facing electricity deficit, with the power utility resorting to regular cuts.
Zambia is currently experiencing an energy deficit primarily due to low water levels at its hydro power stations.
In June 2015 the national utility instituted a loadshedding program to reduce energy consumption.
For how long