By Staff Writer:
Following a confession by ESCOM that unless something is done, the utility provider is destined for collapse, Parliament on Wednesday passed a motion to allow for the formulation of a joint independent committee to look into comprehensive issues affecting the utility power provider.
At a media briefing in Blantyre on Tuesday, ESCOM Chief Executive Officer Kamkwamba Kumwenda conceded that the company is sailing through financial challenges and the only remedy would be a financial bailout or an increase in electricity traffics.
Following the confession, on Wednesday leader of the House in parliament Richard Chimwendo Banda moved a motion in parliament to allow for the formulation of a joint parliamentary committee to look into issues that are affecting ESCOM.
The motion which was duly adopted has seen the formulation of a joint committee comprising members from committees of Trade, Natural Resources, Public Accounts as well as Legal Affairs.
Speaking to journalists later, Chimwndo Banda said the joint committee will be tasked with the responsibility of coming up with a comprehensive report into issues that have been chalking operations of ESCOM.
“Malawians want to know what is happening with ESCOM right now, we can’t be talking about the ESCOM of 2014 today so this committee will go out there engage relevant stakeholders and present a report in parliament for Malawians to really appreciate what are the real issues that are affecting ESCOM,” said Chimwendo Banda.
Since ESCOM was unbundled in 2018 to form three companies, the utility power provider has been struggling financially arguing it has been making losses from electricity sales which currently is being purchased from the Power Market Limited, one of the companies that was formed through the unbundling process.
Another company is Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) whose sole responsibility is managing the generation of the electricity.
