By Wezzie Gausi:
The Regional Energy Regulators Association of Southern Africa (Rera) says it aspires to have 100 percent access to electricity among its members.
Rera is a formal association of independent energy regulators whose establishment was approved by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) ministers responsible for energy on July 2, 2002.
Speaking on Monday in Lilongwe, Rera Executive Director Elijah Sichone said 100 percent connectivity in electricity will boost economies of the member states.
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He said currently access to electricity is at 50 percent, with Malawi at 15 percent, which is the least nation with access to electricity within the region. “As an institution, we have been spearheading the interconnection initiative among nations, which has seen many countries being connected under the southern power pool. This has helped the region a lot.
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“However, we would like to see to it that Malawi also joins the interconnection initiative to have its power grid boosted. We understand there have been some talks with Mozambique but we will be grateful if this initiative was fast tracked,” Sichone said.
Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) spokesperson Fitina Khonje said the meeting will provide a platform for in-depth discussions on recent regulatory and energy sector developments.
She said issues of electricity, gas and fuel are among the top issues on the agenda.
“We are happy that Malawi is hosting this meeting and we are hopeful that, by the end of this meeting, many things will change shape in the energy sector. As a regulator, we deal with so many pressing issues and sometimes we need to learn from other nations on how best to serve our nation,” Khonje said.
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Among others, the association seeks to facilitate a regional energy market that is efficient, integrated, harmonised and investment friendly.
Last week, Secretary to the Treasury Betchani Tchereni stopped the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) and Ministry of Energy officials from travelling to Mozambique for the signing of the 120 megawatts interconnection power deal between Malawi and Mozambique.
