By Benadetta Chiwanda Mia & Cathy Maulidi:
The Government of Malawi has signed a $250.80 million grant from World Bank for the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (Ascent) Malawi project.
The project is premised on supporting Malawi to increase access to electricity from 25 percent to 70 percent by 2030, as outlined in the Malawi 2063 vision.
Word Bank Country Director for Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia Nathan Belete signed the grant agreement on behalf of the bank.
Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda signed it on behalf of the Malawi Government.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, President Lazarus Chakwera said he was excited to have the grant signed before the conclusion of his first term because electrifying Malawi was his promise to Malawians on the campaign trail.
Chakwera described electricity as crucial to enhancing agricultural production by taking produce to value-adding factories and enhancing mining and tourism sectors.
“Electricity would even power our job creation drive, enabling our youths to run their own printing shops, barbershops, hair salons, internet cafes, maize mills and so many more.”
“It is such a delight to continue this powerful partnership with the World Bank through this Compact, which we have symbolically signed and will enable us to continue towards the goal of connecting 75 percent of Malawians to electricity by 2030,” Chakwera said.
Chakwera said the majority of Malawians still lived in the dark.
“Today, before the conclusion of my first term, I am proud to say that our goal has already been achieved, for when I came into office, only 12 percent of Malawians had access to electricity, and today that number has now more than doubled to 25 percent,” Chakwera said.
And, speaking after the signing ceremony, World Bank Managing Director Anna Bjerde, hailed Malawi for the efforts despite electricity challenges it faced following Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which damaged Kapichira Hydro Power Station.
“That’s so remarkable that your country has been able to double access to electricity. Looking ahead, Malawi targets to increase access to 70 percent in six years, and it is ambitious and doable,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chithyola Banda has said improved energy capacity will significantly contribute to the Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and Manufacturing (ATMM) Strategy, which he said required increased investment in the energy sector.
The signing of the grant comes on the sidelines of the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania, where Chakwera is in attendance.
The two-day summit, happening from Monday, January 27, to today, has attracted 13 heads of State.
