Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) needs about K3.16 billion to be used for buying 395 transformers so that it can restore power to 20,000 establishments across the country.
The power supplier, in a statement released Wednesday, further indicates that it will take months before it gets the needed transformers.
Recently, Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola said one transformer costs K8 million. The development means Escom needs about K3.16 billion to get the transformers it wants.
According to Escom, there is rampant vandalism of its assets, citing transformers, copper cables and earth mats as some of the much sought after equipment.
Escom says it loses an average of five transformers every week, “leading to loss of revenue for Escom and crippling of service delivery to establishments” including businesses and households.
Escom adds that vices including meter bypassing and illegal connections have worsened the situation.
“Our efforts to ensure the speedy procurement of the transformers have been hampered by global logistical bottlenecks, hence the expected consignment will take months to be delivered,” the communication reads.
Last month, Matola disclosed that 146 transformers were vandalised in the Southern Region, especially in Mulanje and Thyolo districts; 91 in the Central Region, and; 13 in the Northern Region.
Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
