The Government of Zimbabwe is working on the creation of a water and waste water regulator which will ultimately result in the commercialization of the current Zimbabwe National Water Authority

The need for a regulator came after the realization that ZINWA was acting as both “player and referee” in the water sector while at the same time there were clashes over mandate with other regulatory authorities such as the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority and the Environmental Management Authority.

According to a Needs Assessment and Business Opportunities Report commissioned  by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, this will enable ZINWA to improve performance, become financially sustainable and meet new legislative requirements.

ZIMBABWE’S persistent deflationary environment is seen forcing Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya to take an inflation-oriented stance in his monetary policy statement that is due early this year.

Leading UK based research unit NKC African Economics (NKC) said the country has no choice but to tackle deflation given that it is detrimental to productive sectors of the economy, consequently reducing economic growth.

According to the latest statistics (2009-2015) from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority, Mauritius is the largest source of investment flows accounting for $4,56 billion, China is the second largest source country at $2,81 billion with the most significant amount of $1,09 billion coming through in 2011, while the British Virgin Islands is on sixth at $760,54 million.

According to the figures, $400 million will be invested in the energy sector, manufacturing $500 million and $300 million in the mining sector.

Total investment approved amounted to $3,16 billion from 170 projects. The projects are forecast to create 13 377 jobs and about $30 million in export earnings.

Zesa is working on a debt recovery strategy to pin consumers, including bigwigs who owe the power utility $1 billion in unpaid bills, Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Samuel Undenge said yesterday.

Some Government Ministers and senior civil servants are not paying their electricity bills, with some owing tens of thousands of dollars at their homes and farms. If they don’t pay for the services, Zesa will come to a stage where it will not be able to deliver that service.

The move would have seen consumers being forced to pay high monthly instalments towards servicing their debts before accessing electricity.

Though Zesa’s proposed tariffs have remained a secret, sources said the utility wanted the price pegged at 14 cents per kilowatt per hour up from 9,86c/Kwh.

The average electricity cost in the Southern African region is 14c/kWh.

Global power and automation technologies company ABB (Pvt) Ltd says Zimbabwe’s limitations in foreign direct investment (FDI) in solar power generation were preventing the company from taking solar business on a commercial level.

In the 2016 National Budget, government allocated $28,3 million towards grid extension, solar and biogas projects as it looks for alternatives in power generation. Part of the drive includes the development of 300MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy through State-owned power generation unit, Zimbabwe Power Company.