By Chisomo Sezi
Chief Energy Officer for the Ministry of Energy, Austin Theu, has said the Malawi Rural Electrification project in the Northern region is currently at 60 percent complete, citing challenges such as floods and the rainy season, which rendered some areas in Chitipa, Rumphi, and Mzimba inaccessible.
MAREP phase 9 in progress PIC Chisomo Sezi
Theu made the remarks to Good Morning Africa News on Friday, saying initially, the programme was scheduled to reach 90% by mid-August 2024, but the progress has been hindered, particularly by severe floods during the rainy season.
Theu said the floods left many areas waterlogged, complicating access, especially to sites like Chitipa, Rumphi, and Mzimba districts, aside from additional delays that have arisen due to contractor performance issues related to capacity constraints.
"Despite these obstacles, significant progress is being made in Mzimba and other districts. Of the 34 planned sites, 17 are complete, and 13 have already been commissioned,” said Theu.
The Chief Energy Officer also highlighted that ESCOM has been directed to expedite the connection of households and businesses, with over 12,000 households in Mzimba set to benefit from the phase.
“However, with only 36 out of 93 targeted sites in the Northern region completed, further delays might affect the overall project timeline,” said Theu.
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