One of the country`s development partners, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has asked government to diversify energy sources and develop an efficient energy sector as one way of increasing access to clean energy.

UNDP Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara said this in Lilongwe on the sidelines of launch of the 2018 National Energy Policy and other documents on Malawi Government.

Komatsubara added that the country needs to work on different types of renewable energy sources.

“Promotion of renewable energies and off-grid solutions help in diversifying the sources of power and increasing the number of people who have access to electricity,” stressed Komatsubara.

Meanwhile, the World Bank Group through its energy specialist Paul Mukiibi has reiterated the Bank`s commitment in supporting both the government and private sector in improving emery sources.

“Our focus area as the World Bank is energy access, one of our key areas and we have been working with the government doing both on-grid and off-grid support,” said Mukiibi

And on his part, government through the responsible Minister for Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Bintony Kutsaira said government will walk the talk by implementing the newly unveiled National Energy Policy to address challenges that the country`s energy sector is facing.

“Government is already working hard to attract investors, providing a range of guarantees and exchange rate protections.

As well as implementing policies to reduce perceived risks in the [energy] sector,” highlighted Kutsaira.

Statistics indicate that Malawi has only 11% of the population which connected to the electricity grid.