Zambia is implementing an ambitious energy investment plan that would see the country increase its power generation capacity and expand its energy mix with renewable energy; the United Nations (UN) has been informed.
Zambia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Muhabi Lungu has said the New Dawn Government under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema is determined to make energy affordable, reliable and sustainable so that Zambians could have easy access to both hydro and solar generated power.
Mr Lungu who is Charge’ d Affares’ said the Zambian Government has put in place a conducive policy environment that would attract private investment in power generation, transmission, distribution and retail.
Delivering Zambia’s statement at the ongoing 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA76), Mr Lungu said Government was committed to enhancing cooperation with its development partners to realise the ambition of making energy affordable to all citizens.
He said energy was one of the key enablers for economic growth and sustainable development apart from being critical to speedy economic recovery and meeting the goal of net-zero carbon emission by 2030.
“Energy is one of the key enablers of economic growth and sustainable development. It is key in achieving speedy recovery to the 2030 Agenda and the goal of net-zero carbon emission by 2030. Zambia under President Hakainde Hichilema is therefore implementing an ambitious energy investment plan to increase power generation capacity and expand the energy mix with renewable energy being at the center,” Mr Lungu said.
Mr Lungu said Zambia had so far streamlined 75 percent of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its 7th National Development Plan (7NDP) and incorporated them in the 8th National Development Plan (8NDP), which will run from 2022 to 2027.
He stated that Zambia had recorded milestones in some sectors of the economy such as education, health, gender and energy despite the challenges the country has been facing in its development agenda.
“To stimulate global economic recovery, multilateral initiatives such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partner institutions’ need global efforts to make available safe and effective vaccines, especially to the most vulnerable countries such as least developed countries must be accelerated,” Mr Lungu said.
The Charge’ d Affares’ said Zambia instituted a COVID-19 needs assessment in 2021 in collaboration with the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank and other development partners.
He explained that the assessment was structured around the country’s national development plan and centred on building resilience in the short to medium term. Source: Lusaka Time