MIE banks on Engineering Bill to bring sanity

The Malawi Institution of Engineers (MIE) says it is pushing for the enactment of the Malawi Engineering Institution Bill to bring sanity in the construction sector.

Speaking during a cocktail reception at Sunbird Mzuzu organised by MIE Northern Region Chapter on Friday to bring together engineers and the corporate world, MIE president Andrew Thawe said passing of the bill will see dissolution of MIE and Malawi Board of Engineers to create the Malawi Engineering Institution.

The proposed law has taken eight years to be reviewed and there is hope that it will be tabled in Parliament later this year.

In his address, Thawe said efforts to have the bill tabled in Parliament are at an advanced stage, adding the bill will give the new engineering institution more powers to manage engineering works.

The MIE president said government has also shown interest to have the bill tabled and passed in Parliament.

He warned that engineers who are not registered will not be allowed to practise and he called on all engineers to get registered. Currently, out of 2 000-plus engineers, only about 600 are registered, according to MIE.

MIE Northern Region Chapter president Francis Gondwe and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) regional manager (North) James Chunda also urged engineers to get registered for the industry to be properly managed.

Currently, Malawi uses an old Act enacted in 1972 which has been found to have loopholes and does not properly regulate the engineering profession.