The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) says Liquefied Petroleum Gas which is used as a cooking fuel and costs MWK1,952/Kg is very affordable.
Consumer and public relations manager for MERA, Fitima Khonje, said this in Zomba over the weekend during a daylong media training on fuel and electricity regulations with journalists under membership of Blantyre press club (BPC).
Khonje decried poor and improper dissemination of information on consumption of gas for domestic use saying it has negatively led to misconceptions on the product by the general public.
“While we understand that all forms of energy are dangerous when you do not use them properly, gas is very safe, very affordable and efficient when used properly unlike other energy sources like charcoal,” she said.
Khonje urged the media to be proactive in playing their roles in dissemination of accurate information about energy and electricity regulations to ensure a well-informed society.
She added that just like other players, the media have critical roles to play in dissemination of right and accurate information of the regulations for efficient collaboration with the public and all stakeholders.
“Media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of the regulations. However, we noted a capacity gap in as far as dissemination of proper information about the regulations is concerned.
“Therefore, we feel that imparting them with skills and knowledge on technical issues in the energy and electricity sectors, will help to make work more efficient, hence this day long training.” she said.
Khonje then said that dissemination of accurate information on the regulations is not only a mandate of MERA and media but the responsibility of different stakeholders who work together and added that failing which, the populace will continue to be misled.
In his remarks, Blantyre press club president, Blessings Kanache, urged journalists who participated in the training to be ethical and avoid sensational reporting on critical issues of national developments such as energy and electricity.
Kanache said the media should stop reporting so as to impress politicians who aim at politicizing most developmental projects, but said the good way to go is to feed the public with accurate and relevant information.
In her contribution, one of the participants, Chikondi Manjawira, a journalist for the Maravi Post online, asked the MERA to invest more in capacity building drive for the media fraternity in a bid to make the dissemination of accurate information on energy and electricity sectors more efficiency.
Manjawira then promised a great change in reporting such issues, claiming journalists have now been enlightened on some other technicalities that influenced inaccurate dissemination of information before the training.
Many countries are using gas for domestic use. It is safe, handy and affordable. I hope we can follow this path while also addressing issues of climate change.