This is not a normal business transaction. It must be known to all from the outset that the operating cost of generating electricity from diesel generators is very expensive and the selling price of the investor will surely be cost plus a certain amount of profit margin. This means economic activities in our country will not be encouraged. Small businesses may even be paralyzed. At present, business enterprises and households are finding it hard to pay their electric bills.
Many small businesses are already bitter about the present electricity price.
It is not difficult to understand that the proposed project, if implemented, will frustrate the social and economic development of the country especially the industrial sector. We know that hydro-electric power is much cheaper than diesel generated electric energy. Besides, hydro-electric power is renewable and Ethiopia has a big potential. Today it is known that there are two hydro-electric power projects under construction. They are the Tis-Abay and Gilgel Gibbe with a generating capacity of 73 and 184 Megawatt respectively.