DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 20 -- THE government is set to overhaul the countrys appliance market with new energy efficiency rules coming into effect next May, forcing importers and manufacturers to adapt or face exclusion from the local market.

Through the newly launched Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the government aims to cut national electricity consumption by up to 20 per cent by regulating five of the most energy-intensive imported appliances: air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions, fans and electric motors.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Dr James Mataragio, described the move as a milestone in the countrys energy sector transformation during the official launch of the MEPS initiative and the...