"As Government Cuts Electricity Connection Fee to ZMW 300
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — (3-12-2025) --- The government has launched the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) Program, announcing a historic electricity connection subsidy aimed at expanding access to modern energy nationwide by 2030.
Minister of Energy Eng. Makozo Chikote, who officiated at the launch, said the initiative marks a major shift in Zambia’s electrification strategy.
He said national access currently stands at 51 percent and rural access at 33 percent—figures he described as too low for a country seeking industrial and agricultural growth.
Chikote announced that the electricity connection fee will drop from ZMW 4,846 to ZMW 300, with the subsidy available in all 10 provinces.
Applications for the 2026 connections will open on 22 December 2025, and government targets 100,000 new household connections next year.
“I instruct all media houses to make this headline news tomorrow,” he told journalists. “This is how a caring government operates.”
He added that ASCENT aims to connect 1.6 million people and deliver clean cooking solutions to more than 60,000 households in the next five years.
He directed ZESCO and REA to implement the programme efficiently and ensure no eligible community is left behind.
World Bank Country Director Dr. Achim Fock confirmed the bank has provided a $200 million grant to support the programme.
He said last year’s drought highlighted the need for climate-resilient energy systems and credited ASCENT as the main vehicle for delivering reliable electricity, clean cooking and productive energy for households, schools, farms and health facilities.
He noted that ASCENT aligns with the World Bank’s Africa-wide goal of connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030.
Representing the COMESA Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Malama Chileshe said ASCENT is part of a regional programme supported by an initial $5 billion investment and an expected $10 billion in additional financing.
He said COMESA will assist Zambia with technical support, policy advisory work, digital monitoring tools and engineering training.
He said ASCENT will help strengthen climate resilience, expand grid infrastructure, support renewable mini-grids and attract private investment.
ZESCO Managing Director Justin Longo said the programme builds on previous national efforts to expand access, including the Electricity Service Access Project and the National Rural Electrification Programme.
He said the power utility is ready to extend distribution lines and energize communities.
Longo noted that ASCENT forms part of a $15 billion regional initiative aimed at supplying electricity to 100 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa by 2030, with more than $200 million allocated to Zambia.
Rural Electrification Authority Acting CEO Eng. Alex Mbumba said the launch marks a turning point in Zambia’s rural electrification agenda.
He said the 2008 Rural Electrification Master Plan fell behind its targets due to limited funding, with rural access rising only from 4 percent to 8.1 percent over a decade. Progress improved between 2022 and 2023, reaching 23.4 percent, but he said Zambia must accelerate further.
Over the next five years, REA plans to connect 368,000 households, 40,000 SMEs, and reach 1.6 million beneficiaries, including 109,000 new connections in 2026.
Mbumba said the results-based financing model will improve accountability and ensure funds are released only upon verified progress.
Permanent Secretary Anold Simwaba said ASCENT strengthens national coordination, improves accountability and enhances the government’s ability to track progress in expanding modern energy access.
He thanked cooperating partners and private sector stakeholders for supporting the initiative and described the launch as an important milestone for the energy sector. “As we begin implementation, we are all ambassadors of this program. Let us ensure this good news reaches every corner of the nation,” he said.
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