Officials from Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) say the state run power distributor will start connecting new customers by the end of this month.
They said this will be done through a US$ 150 million secured from the World Bank.
PRO Officer Kitty Chingota
ESCOM Public Relations Manager, Kitty Chingota said through the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP), the Corporation will be connecting at least 60, 000 customers per year which is expected to clear the outstanding backlog of applications date back from 2017.
Chingota has admitted that the financial challenges affected the availability of materials, adding that currently the Corporation needs not less than K400, 000 to top up the customer’s contribution of about K100, 000 for a single connection.
Chairperson for concerned prospective ESCOM customers at Mawonga trade centre in Thyolo, Peter Matope said they have been waiting for the connections since 2017.
Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said there is a backlog of over 60,000 applicants of electricity connection, which he says will need more time to be cleared.
He has also admitted that Escom asked the applicants to buy materials whenever they want to be connected to the national grid.
Meanwhile, he said his ministry will come up with a statement on the matter because the arrangement gives room for corruption and vandalism as material stolen from the corporation finds its way back on the market.
Matola was responding to Zomba Lisanjala legislator William Susuwele Banda, who wanted the minister to come out clearly on Escom policy, which requires an applicant to buy the material required for electricity connection.
