Electricity (Supply Services) Rules, 2019.

These Regulations, consisting of 61 Sections, govern regulatory and licensing matters related to electricity supply services in Mainland Tanzania. They mainly deal with (i) Licensing Procedures: Obtaining a license is mandatory for conducting supply activities. The application process involves specific steps and required documents. Provisions also exist for applying for and granting provisional licenses, as well as for seeking exemptions from licensing requirements under certain conditions; (ii) Obligations of Licensees: Licensees are primarily obligated to provide services under established rules and agreements. They must also compensate for any injury, loss of life, or property damage resulting from their operations. Furthermore, licensees are required to develop and submit a customer service charter for approval; (iii) Financial and Technical Obligations: (a) Financially: Licensees must submit approved budgets and audited accounts, maintain separate accounts for non-supply activities, and prohibit cross-subsidization between supply and other operations, (b) Technically: They must adhere to terms of supply and tariffs approved by the Authority, enter into supply agreements with customers, and establish agreements related to market operations and cross-border trade; (iv) General Provisions: These concern penalties and remedial measures for violations. A general penalty applies to unspecified contraventions, with daily fines for continued non-compliance.
The Regulations emphasize environmental protection by requiring the Authority to consider it when deciding on licenses. The Authority can deny a permit if an applicant's activities might not meet safety, health, and environmental standards. Licenses can also be suspended if a licensee violates rules concerning occupational health, public safety, or the environment. These provisions ensure environmental considerations are central to both the licensing and operational stages. The Regulations aim also to protect the consumer through several rules to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and have access to reliable information and services, such as services provided without discrimination and bias, compensation for any injury, loss of life, or property damage caused by supply activities, customer service charter detailing services, compensation, and complaint handling, tariff disclosure to ensure consumers are informed about the charges, promotion of efficient energy use to benefit consumers, supplementary bills in case of errors or meter malfunctions.