LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Energy says the Malawi Rural Electrification Project (MAREP) Phase 9 has managed to reach out 460 sites representing 85% coverage.
The Ministry expects to wide the phase 9 by end of this month, December 2024.
Ministry’s Deputy Director responsible for MAREP, Fransisco Chingoli said all is set for Phase 10 which is earmarked to reach out 700 sites.
Chingoli was speaking Wednesday night during the panel discussion which Civil Society Network On Climate Change (CISONECC) organised centering on Promoting equitable access to clean energy (Peace Project).
He however attributed low uptake of the program due to fuel and forex challenges.
On corruption allegations, Chingoli said, “We are trying our best to make sure that we put all our processes in the place whereby everyone can can access, can be able to see what we are doing.
“We are proposing the government that the the approving layers that just too many, maybe if they can review the act, so that the approving layers must be reduced maybe to two, so that maybe once the program entity has done the the evaluation process”.
He added, “Public Procurement and Disposal Assets Authority (PPDAA) must be the last institution to suit. If not, so, then it’s good to bring all the concerned parties at one place and do the evaluation and get done by the end of the day, not taking one problem and process up to six months because of too many approving layers.
“This proposal will not give any room for corruption, fraud in the implementation of MAREP programs. We hope authorities will take the legal advise to Parliament for law reviews”.
Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources Chairperson Welani Chilenga proposes the change in identifying MAREP beneficiaries that August House must always decide not through district councils consultation meetings.
Taking his turn, Inkosi Gomani V of Ngoni Maseko appealed for more proper consultation on how MAREP beneficiaries are identified and the implementation of the program towards vulnerable communities.
Echoing the same, CISONECC National Coordinator Julius Ng’oma emphasised the need for MAREP authorities to consider vulnerable communities not only based on economic activities for a particular site but the need to help the poor in accessing power.
Ng’oma also proposes lagal framework reforms that vulnerable communities should be the program’s primary beneficiaries.
Ng’oma however challenged the Ministry to speed up the process as many people in rural areas are waiting to be connected to electricity.
With financial and technical support from the Centre for Environmental Policy Advocacy (CEPA) and Oxfam in Malawi European Union (EU), CISONECC is implementing Peace Project in Lilongwe, Salima and Blantyre.