The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) says it has plans to clear a backlog of electricity connection application by December this year.

Escom Acting Chief Executive Officer Clement Kanyama has told the parliamentary committee on natural resources and climate change that currently, the backlog stands at 52, 000.

According to Kanyama, the power supplier managed to connect about 46, 000 customers after receiving 65, 000 new applications for electricity connection last year.

“When we look at the progress we have made in the year 2021, we are confident that the backlog which has been in place in the last three years will be fully cleared by December 2022,” he said.

“The loot cause of this backlog is lack of financing, at the moment financing for new connections is provided after we have incurred the capital investment, and in the last couple of years our financing have not been the best.”

But reacting to the development, the Committee’s Chairperson Welani Chilenga has faulted Escom for mismanagement of resources saying that corruption has engulfed management of the Corporation.

Chilenga said: “To us we are not convinced those reasons, as far as we are concerned. Escom made huge losses to the tune of K14 billion through misprocurement and corruption.”

“This has led Escom to become bankrupt as a result they don’t have money, they are talking of the World Bank Project, we are the ones who approved this loan through the Electricity Access Bill and this is meant to connect customers in rural areas for free.”

Kanyama said Escom`s target for 2022 is 90, 000 new electricity connections which include the backlog and it will spend about K20 billion.