Mbinga. Deputy Minister for Energy Hon. Judith Kapinga in collaboration with Oryx Gas Tanzania Limited on Tuesday (July 23) donated to Mbinga residents 1,050 gas cylinders worth Sh45 million .
The move that saw Oryx donating 700 gas cylinders and Hon. Judith contributing the remaining 350 is in line with supporting efforts by Hon. President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan in encouraging the use of clean cooking energy.
The donation took place at One Pacific Hall in Mbinga Town Council, Ruvuma Region during the training on the use of clean cooking energy.
“The government in collaboration with clean energy stakeholders is committed to increasing the use of clean cooking energy,” asserted Hon. Judith, while commending Oryx for donating 700 gas cylinders to Mbinga dwellers.
Going by the 10-year National Strategy for Clean Cooking Energy (NSCCE, 2024-2034), the government is planning to raise Tanzania's households that use clean cooking energy from the current 10 percent to 80 percent by the year 2034.
As part of wider efforts to bolster the use of clean cooking energy, Ms Judith said the government, through Rural Energy Agency (REA), has so far distributed 83,500 subsidized gas cylinders worth Sh3.5 billion to Tanzanians.
Spicing up, she further said, the government is in the current financial year set to distribute 452,445 subsidized gas cylinders valued at Sh10 billion.
“Our intention is to cut costs of cooking gas and we are optimistic that this move will boost the use of clean cooking energy,” said Hon. Judith.
Speaking during Tuesday’s meeting in Mbinga Town Council, Oryx Gas Tanzania managing director Araman Benoit said his company will continue to expand clean cooking energy initiatives.
“We want to do away with the use of dirty energy which is not only bad for our health, but also unfriendly to our environment,” underscored Mr Benoit.
As a matter of fact, he said, cooking with clean energy will protect the environment by eradicating deforestation triggered by cutting down trees for charcoal and firewood.
