Katsonga says PPM to breakdown ESCOM responsibilities for efficient service delivery
People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) says once voted into power in next year’s Tripartite Elections, it will breakdown the responsibilities of the country’s sole power provider Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) in order to have efficient service delivery of the company.
PPM party president Mark Katsonga said the country is experiencing unreliable service from the power utility provider because there is government monopoly in its operations. He was addressing a rally at Pirimiti Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Zomba where he unveiled to the gathering some of the guidelines in the party’s 20-point plan.
“We have erratic power supply in the country. PPM government will breakdown the responsibilities into three areas leaving power generation as a monopoly of government, power transmission as a joint venture with the private sector whereas power distribution will be the responsibility of the local Malawians,” he said.
He added that his government would ensure that rural electrification is of utmost priority saying Malawians have not seen tangible development for the past 50 years.
“Electricity is the hub for economic development everywhere, talk of micro and macro-economy. As PPM we will ensure that electricity reaches our brothers and sisters in the rural areas for the benefit of all. This has not been achieved by the past regimes but my 20-point plan has the foundation for wealth creation,” said Katsonga.
On job creation, Katsonga said his government will establish vocational training centres across the country that will enable the youth to learn skills thereby economically empowering themselves through many business innovations.
He therefore said the recent cash-gate developments at Capital Hill in Lilongwe bears testimony that poverty has hit Malawi and that only a few individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of many.
Adds Katsonga: “Poverty has resulted in resources of the country being plundered and a thorough research carried by PPM for the past 10 years has provided us with what Malawians want. We are issue-based and I plead with you not to vote on regional lines during 2014 elections.”
He quashed the current government’s idea of councillors not to receive salaries arguing, it will de-motivate them. The PPM president further added that his government will decentralize the Consolidated Fund.
“This account is of one-party state where it was controlled by one person and it is not welcome in a multiparty state. Revenues collected in a multiparty system of government have their expenditures handled at district or local level. The money revolves around the district where local leaders, and councillors led by the district commissioner and his administration meet to decide how that money could be spent,” he said.
He explained that his government would like sixty percent of the revenue collected to facilitate development projects at district level with forty percent servicing major government projects.
