CISONECC asks government to allow independent power producers

Civil Society Network on Climate Change CISONECC has asked government to allow independent power producers to support communities with electricity to spur social economic development

Addressing journalists in Lilongwe CISONECC national coordinator Julius Ngoma said government must provide favorable environment for establishment of mini-grids saying less than 15 percent of the population has access to electricity

Ngoma said it is time for government to allocate adequate finances from national budget and deal with corruption in the industry

The CISONECC national coordinator appealed to government to promote importation of high quality products by service providers

“Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority and Malawi Bureau of standards to procure necessary equipment for regulation of renewable energy,” Ngoma

Government claims that the electricity challenge is due to cyclone Ana which hit Malawi in January 2022 hence losing 130 megawatts at Kapichira Hydropower plant

The persistent power outages prompted recently joint parliamentary committee to summon various government agencies involved in the production of electricity in the country

Minister of energy once cried because of the blackouts blaming them on sabotage by some officials