By Wezzie Gausi:
Central Region Water Board (CRWB) has said it has reduced non-revenue water losses from 30 percent to 24 percent.
This comes as the board recorded a 78 percent increase in revenue and a remarkable 293 percent surge in net profit in the 2022-23 financial year.
In an interview, CRWB Chief Executive Officer John Makwenda said the board’s turnaround strategy underscores its commitment to fulfilling its mandate as stipulated in the Waterworks Act.
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He said this strategy is driven by a vision to deliver potable water and waterborne sanitation services efficiently, effectively, and with resilience across Malawi’s Central Region.
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“Our overarching goal of ‘Unleashing Growth’ prioritises business expansion through targeted investments to reach underserved communities and enhance service reliability for existing customers.
“Key strategies within this framework include the reduction of non-revenue water, organisational performance improvement, implementation of cost-efficient initiatives, and the adoption of cost-reflective tariffs,” Makwenda said.
He added that the board has managed to have 1,883 new water connections while successfully reducing water loss from 30 percent to 24.
Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change Chairperson Werani Chilenga hailed the board for the good news.
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He said CRWB was among the boards that were not performing well but they have managed to demonstrate that they can change.
“As a committee, we are very impressed with the news. This is what we expect to be happening in all the boards when it comes to providing clean water services. We shouldn’t only be hearing of tariff hikes, but we need to see progress on the ground,” Chilenga said.
Meanwhile, the committee has said CRWB’s performance serves as an inspiration for water management authorities.
