DAR ES SALAAM, April 1 -- POWER shortages are choking industrial ambitions, slashing output, raising costs and deterring investment, as manufacturers grapple with unreliable electricity in an increasingly competitive regional market.

Experts meeting in Dar es Salaam on Monday called for increased investment and stronger public-private partnerships (PPPs) to turn around the situation in the national interest.

A senior corporate lawyer Dr Eve Hawa Sinare said electricity demand far exceeds current generation and distribution capacity, slowing the pace of industrial growth.

“No meaningful development can be achieved without adequate electricity. Energy is the backbone of industrial growth and the economy at large,” said Dr Sin...