Wezzie Gausi:
The government has placed some contractors under scrutiny after an audit exposed accountability gaps in the handling of materials under the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (Marep) Phase 9.
The Ministry of Energy awarded 27 contracts to different firms to supply and deliver materials for the rollout of the project. The materials included poles, transformers and other key equipment meant for electrification works across the country.
However, Energy Minister Jean Mathanga told Parliament that some of the contractors have failed to properly account for the materials that were issued to them.
“We have discovered that some contractors cannot account for the materials that were supplied. The contractor has to account for those materials and make sure they are replaced so that the project does not suffer,” she said.
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The findings emerged from an audit conducted to assess materials supplied and progress of works under Marep Phase 9, which is now at about 80 percent completion.
Mathanga said the gaps, if not addressed, risked slowing down completion of remaining works as missing or unaccounted materials affect installation timelines.
She also revealed that, in some centres, materials were delivered but left unused, with no installation works carried out.
“There are materials that were supplied to a number of centres which were just lying there. Probably that was done to show that power would be supplied,” she said.
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The government has since directed the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to move into affected areas and complete pending works while enforcing accountability on contractors.
Energy policy analyst Kossam Munthali said the involvement of 27 contractors necessitated stronger monitoring systems to track materials from procurement to installation.
“When you have that number of contractors, you need a very tight system of tracking materials and progress.
“Otherwise, gaps like these are inevitable,” Munthali said.
He said government must disclose the extent of the losses and take action against those responsible.
“The public needs to know how much has been lost, which contractors are involved and what action is being taken. Transparency and accountability are critical, especially in projects funded by public resources,” he said.
