Almot Maqolo, Staff Writer 
PIPING products manufacturer Proplastics is deliberately slowing down on exports as unsustainable electricity costs have rendered the group’s products uncompetitive in regional markets.
For many years, the relatively higher price of electricity has been a major source of discomfort for businesses operating in the country when compared to power tariffs elsewhere.
However, despite numerous engagements between business and authorities, a long-term solution has proven to be elusive.
At the company’s annual general meeting, chief executive Kuda Chigiya told shareholders that the uncompetitive electricity costs have made its exports unattractive.
“Electricity supply, though pricey, was significantly improved at 95 percent availability. When we say pricey, we are talking about US$0,23 cents per kilowatt hour of the local electricity cost at peak demand, compared to US$0,10 cents in regional peers like South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia,”
“That just puts our conversion costs up. It makes us very uncompetitive domestically and regionally as well in the market,” he said.
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