Ministry of Energy calls for urgent reforms to strengthen Zambia’s electricity sector

The Ministry of Energy has called on energy sector stakeholders to propose immediate policy and institutional reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency, while addressing longstanding structural challenges, including persistent supply constraints.

Ministry Permanent Secretary, Arnold Simwaba, said stakeholders must also identify practical and bankable financing mechanisms to unlock investment, along with prioritising critical infrastructure needs in electricity generation, transmission, and system reliability.

Simwaba was speaking on Wednesday during the National Dialogue on Zambia’s Energy Sector hosted in Lusaka at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka, an event organised by the Centre for Trade Policy and Development.

The dialogue was held under the theme “Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Investment for a Resilient and Sustainable Electricity Sub-sector.”

Simwaba urged participants to present clear, actionable proposals capable of shaping the country’s energy policy direction by identifying gaps in the existing regulatory and operational frameworks.

“Achieving these outcomes will require candid and solution-driven engagement. The government remains committed to creating an enabling environment for reform, but success will depend on strong collaboration among stakeholders,” he said.

He added that the success of the dialogue would not be measured by the depth of discussions alone, but by the clarity of agreed actions and the speed of their implementation.

Earlier, CTPD Executive Director Isaac Mwaipopo said the dialogue was prompted by the urgent need to find solutions to the energy challenges worsened by climate change and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“We thought it necessary to convene this platform where we can bring together lawmakers and sector actors to share insights and develop coordinated responses,” Mwaipopo said.

He noted that Zambia’s energy sector remained central to economic development and achieving long-term national objectives, including Vision 2036.

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