Government has admitted that a wrangle that has erupted among Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) and Power Market Limited (PML) is negatively impacting the country’s energy sector.
The observation follows finger-pointing on mandated roles and responsibilities among the parastatals which has now deteriorated due to the persistent power blackouts.
Speaking to YFM Online after appearing before a joint parliamentary committee on Natural Resources and Climate, Public Accounts, Legal Affairs, Trade and Industry which is, among others, analysing the energy crisis, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Energy Alfonso Chikuni said the Ministry has started engaging the warring parties.
Admitted Chikuni: “We have taken an approach of understanding the principles that created them, from the principles we are trying to find out where the contestations are coming from, so we have given ourselves a deadline of this month to resolve the issues.”
Concurring with Chikuni, PML Rosemary Mkandawire said the disputes are negatively affecting operations of the institutions.
“At the moment we aren’t corroborating the way we should, because we should be working together make sure that we bring sufficient power to the people other we aren’t having such a fruitful conversation,” Mkandawire said.
Meanwhile, the joint Committee has proposed for legal review of the laws governing the institutions.
“The end result Malawians will keep on suffering because these institutions they are not working together, there is a great need for Attorney General to look into the laws that govern these institutions, there are certain clauses that aren’t very clear or people are misinterpreting those clauses,” said Ned Poya, co-chairperson of a joint parliamentary committee.
According to Chikuni, if the issues will not be resolved, government will go back to Parliament to make proposals in amending the intended laws.
Since the unbundling, Egenco is responsible for power generation while Escom is mandated to transmit, distribute and market whilst PML buys and sells electric power as a licensed single buyer.
