Beware of unskilled electricians over REA projects, Tanesco warns villagers

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) in Mwanza region has strongly warned people where projects under Rural Electrification programmes are going on to beware of unskilled technicians who lure them and steal their money. Speaking during the just ended May day celebrations in Mwanza city, Tanesco’s Communications officer in Mwanza region Haji said that, the ongoing rural electrification projects currently taking place in various villages in the region have been faced with lots of challenges. He said that one such common challenge is where some few untrustworthy individuals who have formed a tendency to lure customers by pretending themselves to be electrical technicians with the intention of getting money from them.  “Due to the on-going rural electrification programmes in various villages in the region and the country at large, unskilled individuals have emerged and falsely stealing money from the rural people who have less idea about the project”, he said. He further warned that, those people who are in dire needed of the electricity should go straight to a nearest Tanesco’s office and receive such services. He admitted that such conmen have been charging rural customers between Sh. 60,000 and Sh. 100,000 for the sake of attaining a registration cards instead of Sh. 5,900 the amount which is legally required to accomplish the registration process. He noted that such conmen have decided to emerge in rural areas due to the fact that many people who are not properly educated and become aware of the procedures required as associated with the REA projects despite of several meetings being held by Tanesco officials before the commencements of the project. “Do not accept to buy a registration cards at home as all these are made available at the main Tanesco’s offices”, he said. Either Bwegege has warned that those people who do their businesses under the heavy duty transmission such as the Boda Boda motor bikes, should vacate such dangerous areas for their safety. “There are some pretty traders who engage in taxi and motor bike transportation of passengers should vacate immediately from those areas without fail as those are the most dangerous places for them to stay on all the time conducting their businesses”, he said.