Why Zanzibar Utility and Regulatory Authority (ZURA) is crucial in Zanzibar’s development

The Zanzibar Utility and Regulatory Authority (ZURA) is a government entity that helps to regulate the quality of water and energy services in Zanzibar. It enables the stimulation of economic efficiency to ensure the availability and accessibility of quality services to the public.

Since its inception in 2013, ZURA has been using every platform to showcase its services which lead to improve and sustain abilities of utilities to offer best services in the Isles. It also encourages investments in the water and energy sectors while enhancing economic growth and social development and as such bettering the life standard of the people.

ZURA’s Director General Omar A. Yussuf says by 2023, the authority has successfully licensed the Zanzibar Water Authority (ZAWA) to manage and ensure that water services are of acceptable quality, standard, and costs. Certainly the availability and deliverance must be of high standard.

He says the authority ensures that it continues to carry out its mandate to control the water sector economically with the aim of making water service sustainable, while exercising the skills to determine the true cost of the provision of the service provided by ZAWA.

“We are conducting a study known as ‘Cost of Service Study.’ This aims to support the authority in the planning process of water prices based on the costs used to provide the service,” he said.

According to him, ZURA will ensure water prices for the citizens are affordable without compromising ZAWA financial capacity to provide sustainable water services.

He says the completion of the study will also help to understand the level of ZAWA’s performance as well as various humanitarian challenges in order to improve its performance in water provision to acceptable standards.

He named some of the achievements of ZURA in recent years as including the successful licensing of the Zanzibar Electric Corporation (ZECO) to manage and ensure electricity services are of acceptable quality, standard, and cost.

ZURA has also enabled the investment of 30MWp of Solar PV by Generation Capital Company from Mauritius to generate power for Unguja Island and 15MWp of Solar PV by ESR from Germany to generate power for Pemba Island.

Regarding the petroleum sector, Mr. Yussuf, the Director General of ZURA, highlighted that with the government’s support, the opening of the Mangapwani oil depot has been facilitated. This depot has a substantial capacity, capable of receiving 21,000,000 litres of fuel, including 8,000,000 litres of petrol, 4,000,000 litres of jet fuel, and 1,000,000 litres of kerosene. Zanzibar’s oil imports have shown an average increase of 34% from 155,827,363 in 2020/2021 to 212,713,050 in 2022/2023.

Mr. Yussuf emphasized that this warehouse depot can store fuel for approximately one month on Unguja Island. Furthermore, he pointed out that, in collaboration with various government agencies including the President’s Office under the Ministry of Finance and Planning, ZPPDA, POMOFP, and the Zanzibar e-Government Agency, ZURA has developed the ZURA Integrated Regulatory System (ZIRS), a digital authority operating system.

Through the introduction of the joint fuel replacement system (BPS), this integrated system has effectively eradicated fuel shortages in the country, ensuring the consistent availability of petroleum products. “This system has successfully addressed the issue of fuel scarcity in Zanzibar, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to petroleum products,” he affirmed.

This system has successfully addressed the issue of fuel scarcity in Zanzibar, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to petroleum products

Among many other achievements also, ZURA has helped in preparing a retail guide for the cooking gas industry. The guideline, he said, is intended to ensure that the authority oversees the operation of gas business on the part of retail suppliers based on safety and international standards.

The increase in the consumption of cooking gas averaged 35% over the three (3) years, with 4,489,089 in 20/21; 5,921,762 in 21/22 and 8,123,017 for 22/23.

“We strive to ensure that Zanzibar becomes the center of access to water and energy services within the East African region,” said, ZURA director general. He however did not mention the target of achieving the same

ZURA, a multi-sectoral government regulatory authority works to ensure there is transparency, accountability and integrity within its team while ensuring professionalism, teamwork, effectiveness and efficiency at work.

ZiBi Team