Last Monday, the Government of Malawi published a post on their Facebook page that said the following:
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera on Monday witnessed the signing of a US$300 million compact with the World Bank, a funding which will support Malawi to achieve universal energy and electricity access by 2030.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Chakwera said electricity is the key to unlocking economic and wealth creation opportunities as it helps in agricultural production, mining sector and tourism, among others.
He said for the past years Malawi has faced a lot of setbacks in the energy sector as the country was hit by Cyclones Ana and Gombe, which severely damaged Kapichira Power Plant and plunged one third of the few Malawian homes that were connected to electricity back in the dark.
“When we had problems with our electricity World Bank was the first to come to our aid and work together with us to see the plant restored, which we accomplished in less than one year,” said Chakwera.
The President stated that it is the wish of his administration to see 75 percent of Malawians being connected to electricity by 2030.
“In the last four years, we have managed to connect 25 percent of Malawians with electricity from 12 percent as we know that with electricity our country will be developed,” he said.
Managing Director for World Bank, Anna Bjerde, commended Malawi government for its efforts in increasing electricity access from 12 to 25 percent in the last four years.
She said, with collaboration with the Malawi government they want to see many Malawians having access to electricity as many African countries they lack electricity.
The grant is under under the Accelerating Sustainable & Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) initiative.
The article was accompanied by some pictures of the president, his entourage and the World Bank Team, all in good spirits and smiles. Below the post were the usual glory singers and praise makers. But one comment in particular by someone who was questioning the conditions attached to the funding is worth reproducing on here, as it poses pertinent questions for Malawians, which we think they ought to know:
I think, Mr. President, before you sign such an agreement for the 300 million compact, for transparency and accountability, you should tell the Malawian people the conditions attached to the loan. Specifically, I would like to know:
What are the repayment terms and interest rates?
Are there any conditionalities that might affect our country’s sovereignty or economic development?
How will the funds be utilized, and what benefits will Malawi receive in return? Will there be any monitoring and evaluation frameworks in place to ensure the project’s success? What measures will be taken to prevent corruption and ensure that the funds are used effectively? By sharing this information, you can ensure that the Malawian people are fully informed and can hold their leaders accountable for the decisions made. Transparency is key to good governance, Mr. President! Osamangosaina coz mwaona ma million
Malawi has in the past signed funding deals that have turned out to not be beneficial. Or that have had in them restrictive conditions which have done more damage than good to the Malawian economy.
malawiace.com 