Electricity tariffs raised amid continued blackouts

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ESCOM.

At a time when many Malawians are sending public outcries on incessant electricity blackouts, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) Board has revealed that electricity tariffs will go up from January 1 2016.

Reports say that the regulatory body has advised the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to implement the hike next year on.

According to Mera board chair Dingiswayo Jere, tariffs will go up from an average of MK40.69/kWh to MK53.69/kWh (or$0.08 per KWh).

ESCOM.
Electricity tariffs up next year on.

However, blackouts have beentalk of the day with ESCOM citing the rains as a draw back to power generation at its power stations.

Recently, Malawi President Peter Mutharika defended ESCOM saying that Malawians need to be patient with the electricity body.

The Malawi leader made the call when he briefed the press on numerous issues on Monday at his base, the Kamuzu Palace in the capital Lilongwe.

ESCOM had last month according to running media reports gone ahead to implement its plans that will see the closure of Nkula power generating plants as well as diminishing water levels and flow in Lake Malawi and Shire river respectively.

This has been the cause of recent blackouts.

While tilting hope to the looming power project Malawi has entered with China, Mutharika said that Malawians need to be patient as the situation will be history at the onset of the project.

But according to Mutharika argued that much as the blackout problem is of great concern, there is still need for ESCOM to improve on its machinery as well as find solutions to handle the problems it is facing in power generation.