CZI to gauge load-shedding impact

23 Aug, 2019 - 00:08 0 Views
CZI to gauge load-shedding impact The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI)

eBusiness Weekly

Ishemunyoro Chingwere
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has this year added a specific barometer to gauge the impact of the energy deficit that has been dogging the economy in its annual manufacturing industry sector survey.

The survey is currently under way on the field.

Zimbabwe’s manufacturing industry capacity utilisation rose by 3,1 percentage points to 48,2 percent in 2018 on the back of strong macro-economic intervention strategies by Government but 2019 began on the back of crippling foreign currency shortages and a power deficit due to decreased generation owing to low water levels in Kariba dam.

Industry has, however, noted an increase in energy supply after Government intervened and secured more power imports from South Africa’s power utility Eskom.

The imports have resulted in Zesa cutting on its load shedding hours.

In an interview with Business Weekly earlier this week, CZI chief executive officer Ms Sekai Kuvarika said industry is now looking forward to cover up for lost ground in the second half of the year on the back of increased energy supply.

In the meantime, the lobby group is also taking advantage of its annual manufacturing industry sector survey to assess the impact of load shedding on production capacity as well as the cost of doing business.

“Because the first half of this year

has been affected by energy shortages, we are hoping that companies may be able to cover some lost ground in terms of production as power supply has improved,” Kuvarika said.

“We are currently out in the field with our annual manufacturing industry sector survey and we have added to that survey a section that really looks at energy and the impact that the current shortages of energy have had in terms of production capacity, cost of production and other variables.

“But we will be able to tell how much actually companies recover maybe towards the end of the year and in the past week, yes, companies have attested that energy supply has improved,” she said.

Government, in light of the power challenges, is considering copying a local firm’s power efficient model and use it as a national power conservative template.

Speaking after touring Turnall Holdings plant in Harare in light of the roof manufacturer’s winning of the CZI Energy Efficiency Award, Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi said Government is eager to see industrial interventions that cut on power consumption.

“We need to use energy efficient equipment. They (Turnall) have told me, interestingly, that it’s now a requirement in their company to order energy efficient equipment,” said Minister Chasi.

“We can make this a requirement for everyone because power is very, very important to all of us. Turnall has structures that we want to study. I am going to meet their technical team to understand further on how we can nationalise this approach so that we can have these structures in all entities.

“They (Turnall) carry out energy audits by themselves and they manage (consumption) . . .  the fact that they have got structures to manage their energy, means that they can improve on their bottom line,” he said.

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