Friday, August 19, 2022
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Front Page

Escom owed K42bn in unpaid bills

by Martha Chirambo
30/07/2021
in Front Page, National News
3 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

Private companies and government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) owe Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) about K42 billion in unsettled electricity bills, it has emerged.

From the bill, MDAs owe about K25.5 billion while private sector companies owe the utility firm about K17.3 billion.

In an interview on Tuesday, Escom public relations manager Innocent Chitosi said failure by the customers to settle their bills is frustrating the operations of the company.

He said: “We import most of the equipment and tools that we use. We have to pay tax for the sales that we make regardless of the fact that we have been paid or not by our customers.”

Chitosi said by failing to pay Escom, in essence the power utility provider is financing the operations of their customers; hence, negatively affecting the cash flow of the organisation.

A consumer loading prepaid electricity credit whose tariffs have been revised

He said Escom is in the process of migrating all MDAs and companies from post-paid billing system to prepaid accounts to mitigate the challenge of accumulated bills.

Chitosi said: “We have laid down 90 percent of the infrastructure to migrate MDAs to prepaid metering system.

“This will help them to manage their consumption. Most private companies are already migrating to the pre-paid accounts, so that challenge is being sorted out.”

The development is coming at a time MDAs are undergoing public sector reforms programmes to improve efficiency. The reforms recommend that utility providers should embark on prepaid billing system to deal with defaulting MDAs.

Despite payment of bills being the responsibility of each MDA, Ministry of Finance comes in to assist as records have shown that some MDAs do not prioritise the payments.

In an interview yesterday, Treasury spokesperson Williams Banda said government will only settle unpaid bills for security agencies. He said the National Audit Office is currently verifying the arrears.

However, he urged other MDAs to prioritise the payments of their unsettled bills to Escom.

Previous Post

Bullets start against Yanga at Cecafa

Next Post

Malawian, 2 others set Olympic record

Related Posts

National News

World Bank starts mission to Malawi for Skills project

August 19, 2022
National News

3 prisoners ‘forgotten’ on death row

August 19, 2022
Challenged the sale: Chakaka-Nyirenda
National News

Court nods to transfer of bus depots

August 19, 2022
Next Post

Malawian, 2 others set Olympic record

Opinions and Columns

My Turn

Diagnostic tech cost on patients

August 19, 2022
Business Unpacked

Why public debt should worry every patriotic Malawian

August 18, 2022
Rise and Shine

How to triumph in interviews

August 18, 2022
My Turn

Making briquettes at Malasha

August 15, 2022

Malawi-Music.com Top10

Trending Stories

  • Court snubs tenants on govt houses

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Blantyre derby could have fetched more’

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Why graft cases stall

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • World Bank protests K14bn ICT contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 3 prisoners ‘forgotten’ on death row

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2022 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.