Chilima promises to remove water, electricity connection fees: ‘Ready to make Malawi happy nation’

Vice president Saulos Chilima has promised that once voted into power  as Head of State on May 21, the UTM led government would remove connection fees for water and electricity.

Chilima said this in Mzimba when he addressed a highly patronized rally.

Speaking in fluent Tumbuka, Chilima said there is a common saying that water is life but access to the commodity is very difficult for most Malawians and UTM wants to recognise its importance by removing all the barriers to easy access to water and electricity.

He said his government would reduce  value added tax (VAT)  on water  and electricity to make the utility readily accessible to many Malawians.

“You have heard most of our promises since Masintha but most people have been asking what our manifesto says on water and electricity. I want to announce today that UTM believes in universal access to water and electricity,” he said to the ululation of the excited crowd.

This, he said, would be done after ensuring operations at financially-troubled Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom)  are improved.

He said this after the country is experiencing a 24 hour blackout after Electricity Generation Company (Egenco), the country’s main producer of power and Escom issued a joint statement saying the hydro power generation has been reduced drastically due to excessive trash which has blocked intake screens at Kapichira and Nkula power stations as a result of heavy rains.

The statement says this has resulted in a loss of about 165MW of hydro generation capacity out of the recently available 326.45MW.

The Vice President also promised the people of Mzimba that his government will construct the road that leads to Nyika National Park and a proper airport at the venue of the rally which was held at old Mzimba Airfield.

Before the rally which drew a large crowd, Chilima held some Imbizos at Embangweni, Edingeni, Engalaweni and Manyamula where huge crowds of people engaged him in a number of issues that his government will do come May.