CHILANGWA CALLS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTOR IN LUAPULA, KATANGA
LUAPULA Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa has called for strong collaboration between the HautKatanga region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Luapula province in Zambia to increase hydro power generation and other forms of energy.
Mr Chilangwa notes that lack of industrial energy has slowed down the economic progress of both Luapula province and the Haut-Katanga region.
ZANIS reports that this is contained in a joint communique signed and issued by both Mr Chilangwa and his Lubumbashi counterpart Jacques Katwe after a bilateral meeting in Lubumbashi yesterday. Mr Chilangwa has since invited his Haut - Katanga counterpart, Mr Katwe, to participate in the forthcoming first ever Luapula Energy Conference.
“The Luapula Energy Conference which was postponed due to Covid-19 last year, will now take place from April 26 -30 under the theme: Sustainable Energy for Development Within and Beyond Luapula,’ Mr Chilanga informed Mr Katwe. “The Energy Indaba will precede the KasomenoMwenda toll road and Luapula Bridge Groundbreaking ceremony.” Mr Chilangwa added.
And Mr Katwe has pledged his government support in ensuring that the energy Conference is a success.
Mr. Katwe has also urged the DRC’s National Electricity Company Société Nationale d’Électricité (SNEL) to work with Zambia’s ZESCO in actualizing the joint hydro- power projects on which the two companies have been working.
According to Mr Chilangwa, the energy conference will bring different players in the energy sector to be held under the new normal with strict observance of Covid-19 protocols.