Escom to connect 180,000 customers
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has said implementation of the World Bank-funded Malawi Electricity Access Project (Meap), which seeks to connect about 180,000 low-income single phase customers in the next two years, is on track.
Escom Chief Operations Officer Maxwell Mulimakwenda said most of the materials for implementation of the project have arrived in the country.
The project had been delayed in the first two years due to logistical challenges, Covid-related lockdowns and other supply chain arrangement issues.
But Mulimakwenda told members of the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances and Public Sector Reforms that the project is on course.
“In the first phase, we are targeting to connect 50,000 customers and I can assure the general public and our customers out there that this phase will roll out soon,” Mulimakwenda said.
Mulimakwenda also announced that the second phase, which will target 125, 000 customers, will commence about four months after completion of the first phase.
Meanwhile, Mulimakwenda has said the corporation will soon present a proposal to the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) on the need for an upward adjustment of electricity tariffs in the country.
“We sympathise with the public, and we acknowledge that the supply of electricity has been erratic indeed, more especially because of the impact of Cyclone Ana, where Kapichira power station was damaged. Nonetheless, as a company, we have to continue to operate.
“As you may be aware, mid last year, there was a massive devaluation in this country and impact of inflation; so, we believe that an upward tariff adjustment is the right thing to do for us to apply for a tariff increase even as we are working on issues of restoring power supply,” Mulimakwenda said.
Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances and Public Sector Reforms co-chairperson Werani Chilenga said the committee is satisfied with the progress made on Meap.
Chilenga said the MPs are optimistic that, through the project, Escom will increase access from the current 12 percent to about or over 30 percent in 2030.
He however said the committee cannot advocate for an upward tariff hike amid erratic supply.
Meap was launched in Lilongwe in December last year after Parliament approved a World Bank loan of $150 million.
Eric Msikiti is a Senior Reporter/News Producer at Times Group. Though relatively young, Eric boasts years of experience in Malawi’s media industry.
