Minister commits to end Escom, PML roles row
Newly appointed Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola has plegged to end the power procurement wrangle between Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) and Power Marketing Limited (PML).
The row emanates from Escom’s failure to cede the role of a power single buyer which, according to the law, is supposed to be performed by PML.
PML was created out of Escom as part of power sector reforms as a licensed firm to buy and sell power. The arrangement has left Escom with electricity distribution, transmission and systems market operator functions.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after a familiarisation visit to PML offices in Lilongwe, Matola plegged to ensure Escom surrenders the single buyer function.
He said: “As a parent ministry, I take it that in the [power] family, we had one child, Escom, thereafter another child was born Egenco [Electricity Generation Company] and now there is a third one PML.
“It is natural and healthy for Escom to think that the care and attention will be going to other siblings.”
Matola stated that he will engage the concerned parties in dialogue so that there is smooth transition.
“Contact and dialogue and civic education are key. I will be seeking guidance from the President, who was the minister of Energy, to address all these misunderstandings,” he said.
The minister backed the formation of PML as a catalyst for energy sector development, saying it will help scale up the growth of Independent Power Producers.
“These institutions are all under the government of Malawi which wants to have many players in the energy sector; hence, the birth of PML.
“The President’s dream is to have many players in the energy sector. He has said that by 2025, we should have an additional 1 000 megawatts to the national grid and this cannot be done by a single player in the sector,” he said.
PML chief executive officer Rosemary Mkandawire said the minister’s support was encouraging as the company is eager to start full-scale operations.
“He has given us hope. He wants both PML and Escom to work together in fulfilling what the President wants, that by 2025, we should have an additional 1 000 megawatts on the national grid,” she said.
