Expert, regulator speak on electricity penetration

With less than 10 percent of the country’s population  connected to the national power grid, an expert says Malawi has failed to increase penetration due to lack of clearly defined targets.

In an interview on Monday, Kandi Padambo, a former Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) chief executive officer, said the targets that were set have not been followed through with tangible action.

A recent report from Kenya-based Afrobarometer based on nearly 54 000 interviews in 36 African countries in 2014/15, indicates that Malawi remains one of the countries with the lowest electricity penetration rate in Africa.

Statistics show that ideal electricity penetration should be around 30 percent.

Padambo, however, said unless the sector develops clearly defined goals, strategies that are being implemented to improve electricity access will take time to bear fruits.

“Connecting customers is something that can be done if there is focus. With regard to making sure that many Malawians have access to electricity, what is lacking is defined targets on connecting customers over a period of time,” he said.

In a separate interview, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) senior consumer and public relations officer Fitina Khonje said they have devised strategies to up access to electricity rates.

“As a regulator, we are optimistic that the coming in of Independent Power Producers [IPPs] would as well help,” she said. n