106 - The International Resource Journal

104 AFRICA Helvetic Solar Contractors“Africa is always referred to as the Dark Continent and one of thereasons is that there is not enough power in different areas…We havea vision of expansion. We are already lucky to cater to many countriesin East Africa, but this is not the end. We have to go to much morecountries in Africa and solve Africa`s power problems in an Africanway. No other part of the world gets as much sun as Africa. And so,this is then the African way: the sun”ministry in December has Ngowi’s interest piquedas well. The government released a statementoutlining that all government buildings using over100 litres of hot water a day should transition toa system using solar water heaters, a move thatis seen as a positive step, not only because ofthe potential business opportunities for companieslike Helvetic, but because it truly shows thegovernment’s commitment to renewable energy,particularly solar.“I would like to give a vote of thanks to ourPresident for the policies he has set when itcomes to renewable energy in Tanzania. I think[the government] is setting a good example becausethey’re not just talking about it. They’redoing something about it. They are implementing,”enthuses Ngowi. “It just goes to show that at theend of the day, they do believe in solar as a reliablealternative energy source.”Support from the government certainly hasmade things easier for companies like Helveticto grow and find success. For one, the Tanzaniangovernment has removed all taxes on solar; Helveticdoesn’t pay value-added tax on the productimportation or installation, which lowers the priceof solar compared to other countries in the region.Solar products are also given special clearancethrough customs, which is also a benefit tocompanies like Helvetic because it enables themto deliver to clients on time, something that doesnot always go smoothly when doing business in Africa,says Ngowi. “This has increased our revenueand helped secure clients like the UN. We believetime is a very precious element.”