“`The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources has told Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to apologize to Malawians over the recent tariff hike.
The committee has also demanded the electricity supplier to suspend the price increase.
Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) announced a 10% electricity price hike on March 29 saying it would be effective March 30. ESCOM then effected the hike.
However, Parliament through the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources questioned the two bodies for effecting the hike without consulting the committee.
Appearing today before the committee, MERA Acting Chief Executive Officer Ishmael Chioko said MERA just announced the hike of tariffs but the hike was not yet implemented.
He added that he told ESCOM acting CEO Clement Kanyama through a WhatsApp message to put the hike on hold.
But Kanyama told the committee that the new tariff was implemented following the announcement.
The revelations have led to questions over ESCOM’s conduct.
According to Chairperson of the Committee Werani Chilenga, the new tariffs came at a time when Malawians are suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chilenga has since told ESCOM to apologize to Malawians and revert to the old tariff.
The electricity tariff was increased from K94.43 per kilowatt per hour (Kwh) to K104.46.“`
PARLIAMENT SUMMONS ESCOM AND EGENCO
Natural resources committee of parliament has summo ESCOM, EGENCO and MERA to explain why and how they arrived at hiking electricity tariffs
The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources ad Climate Change has cornered Escom officials for the tariff increase.
According to Chilenga, Escom officials told him earlier that the increase was made to bail out the institution from its financial quagmire, and based the minister of energy’s statement in parliament.
Escom officials have meanwhile failed to produce the statement that the minister allegedly made, which the Committee demaded.
Natural Resources Committee Chairperson Werani Chilenga asks why the committee was not informed when ESCOM was planning to initiate the hike electricity tarrifs.
But ESCOM Acting Chief Executive Officer Clement Kanyang’wa apologizes to the committee saying they regret not to have informed the committee.
He says the hike was done to bail out ESCOM.
The Committee says it is perplexed on why Malawians should be bailing out people or institutions that are messing up things in their institutions.
It says Escom messed itself up during the massive plunder that saw its operations crippled, hence no need burden Malawians with its mess.
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