Leader of Government business in Parliament Richard Chimwendo Banda says Parliament must ensure that Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) is delivering, especially on electricity connections to customers who already paid connection fees.
Chimwendo was speaking in Parliament on Friday on behalf of Minister of Energy who is President Lazarus Chakwera.
Chimwendo’s remarks came after some Members of Parliament (MPs) in the chamber complained that in their constituencies, a lot people who applied for electricity long ago are yet to get connected to electricity.
Chimwendo said it worrisome to see people applying for electricity connection, paying the connection fee but still waiting for years to get electricity connection.
He said it is the role of the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources to find out what is going on at ESCOM.
“I think if you heard from a quite number of MPs, they were complaining that there are people in their constituencies who actually applied for electricity connection. Some are talking about a year, some 8 months others they are talking about two years. I said this government is taking ESCOM to task to make sure that justice is done, the ones who came first must be served first other than being used or maybe corruption being involved.
“It is also the role of MPs through their respective committees to provide oversight to government institutions and make sure service delivery is being given to Malawians, and this is very important because it’s unfair that people that paid for electricity connection and actually have to stay after even paying.
“Others even struggle to find that money to pay for that connection and it’s very painful that they have to wait and see others who have just paid and then being serviced. So, I have really asked the Natural resources committee to do its oversight role to the ESCOM,” explained Chimwendo.
