Government to use its own resources for electrification

Government says it would use its own resources to provide the country
with adequate electricity supply through short term strategies in
developing power generating projects.



Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said this in response to private sector
outcry that erratic supply of electricity was eating into the
industry’s production output.



In his presentation on 2008 Malawi Business Climate Survey, Chief
Executive for Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(MCCCI) Chancellor Kaferapanjira said for the past three years, power
failure has been the outstanding hurdle to business.



“We feel let down on electricity because the National Assembly is no
longer relevant because its members are not performing duties of
bringing forward government business as they only meet to discuss their
allowances and not matters of national interest,” said Kaferapanjira.



He made the remarks following revelation that the 18 months grace
period provided by the World Bank to Malawi parliament to approve the
Mozambique-Malawi Power Interconnection Bill had expired.



Under the bill, the World Bank was supposed to fund the power connection from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.



However, Gondwe said government was moving in the right direction to improve electricity supply results.



“We have plans to add power generation but we will consult experts in
this field on better short term projects as we eventually seek for long
term strategy,” said Gondwe.



The chamber’s survey was conducted in several sectors that included
trading, tourism, mining, manufacturing, financial and professional
services plus transport and communications.