The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has urged the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) and the Ministry of Energy to accelerate the unbundling of key functions within ZESCO and ensure the establishment of an independent system and market operator by 2025.
CTPD Legal Researcher Lucy Musonda stressed the importance of ZESCO operating transparently and inclusively, engaging all players in the energy sector and repositioning itself as an enabler of national development rather than a gatekeeper.
Her remarks come in response to government’s commitments under the National Energy Compact, signed earlier this year which seeks to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.
“This framework is essential for attracting private investment, expanding renewable energy, and delivering power to underserved communities, however these goals are threatened by ZESCO’s continued dominance across the energy value chain as generator, transmitter, distributor, and system operator,” said Ms. Musonda in a statement issued to RCV News in Lusaka today.
She argued that ZESCO’s vertically integrated structure, though once necessary, no longer aligns with the needs of a competitive and modern energy market.
“It creates a conflict of interest, discourages independent power producers (IPPs), and limits fair market access for new entrants,” said Ms. Musonda.
She also warned that the concentration of authority in a single utility risks stalling or weakening the implementation of open access, despite government’s stated commitments to energy reforms.
Angel Kasabo
