THE Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd (TANESCO) has been directed to overhaul its call centre staff as its performance is unsatisfactory.

Energy minister Dr Doto Biteko, who is also deputy prime minister, issued this directive after visiting the company’s call at Ubungo, its former headquarters, in Dar es Salaam.

He voiced his frustration with the centre’s operations, particularly a malfunctioning toll-free number that has raised numerous queries, despite his previous directive to resolve the matter last year.

"This is a large entity, and it is disheartening to see it operating with a 'business as usual' mentality. I am giving you one week to ensure the toll-free number is functioning properly," he said. 

TANESCO is an entity that should be contributing positively to the country’s economy but it is instead undermining its efforts by offering poor customer service, he stated.

Visiting the compressed natural gas (CNG) so-called mother station at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), set to begin operations next month, he expressed satisfaction with the situation.

After inspecting the construction progress of the station, a unit of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), he said that the construction is 80 percent complete and progressing well. All required equipment had already been delivered, he affirmed.

"The contractor has assured us that by February 3 vehicles will begin refuelling with gas here for the first time. Our goal is to eliminate the queues you often see, as the response from Tanzanians switching to the gas system has been substantial," he stated.

He said that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed that more stations be built in Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital and largest gas fuel consumer.

He pointed at plans to increase the number of stations to 15 by the end of the year, along with setting up mobile stations—one in Morogoro and two in Dodoma. The aim is to enable a transition from using polluting energy sources to cleaner, more sustainable energy.

He stressed the need to expedite the construction process, noting that 18.9bn/- is being invested in the Kairuki and Muhimbili stations, all with domestic funding.

Aristides Katto, the project manager from TPDC, stated that once completed, the station will be able to distribute gas to other stations via vehicles. It will have four pumps that can serve more than eight vehicles at any one time, he added.