Engineering News: SBI calls on govt to stablise Eskom, remove remaining restrictions on independent power

Business organisation the Small Business Institute (SBI) is calling on government to accelerate the implementation of measures to stabilise power utility Eskom, as businesses, and especially small businesses that are supposed to create 90% of jobs by 2030, are suffering from rolling blackouts.

“Load-shedding is undermining everything we are trying to achieve as a country – from growth to jobs and poverty reduction. The investment drive by the President is being hobbled by uncertainty arising from unreliable power supply,” says SBI CEO John Dludlu.

The SBI is also calling for the removal of remaining restrictions to licensing independent power producers and says those with excess power should be allowed to sell it to the national grid.

“If we are serious about inclusive growth, we need to urgently tackle the Eskom crisis, otherwise we should forget about creating jobs, and our long-suffering small businesses, which are our best hope, will continue dying in numbers,” Dludlu says.

“We urge government to speed up the implementation of the plans it announced a month ago, especially those relating to stabilising Eskom. For example, it is inexplicable why government, as Eskom’s sole shareholder, has not strengthened the Eskom board with appropriately qualified directors in the face of a deepening crisis,” he adds.

by Engineering News – https://engineeringnews.co.za/article/sbi-calls-on-govt-to-stablise-eskom-remove-remaining-restrictions-on-independent-power-2022-09-20

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