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| Business |
| Ministers underscore role of power supply |
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by
Ephraim Munthali, 07 October 2003
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18:16:33
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Two senior ministers on Tuesday delivered veiled statements, warning that the country cannot execute its much touted economic growth strategy if the current power supply is not improved.
Government started drawing the strategy last year and identified agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing as lead sectors that can help meet the growth benchmark.
Energy Minister Uladi Mussa said: “Government realises that a secure and reliable power supply system is key to supporting lead sectors to achieve the six percent growth target.”
“However, the state of the country’s power supply industry, as evidenced by the recent power shortages and interruptions, is not in a position to effectively catalyse the intended economic growth target.”
The warning, made at a Blantyre meeting organised to discuss power options in the wake of the recent crisis, could be a positive step towards a commitment to make Malawi an attractive place to invest.
The delegates, dominated by senior public officials and parastatal heads but with few private sector representatives and almost no manufacturers, was expected to discuss four options.
The first is to purchase a new standby gas turbine generator and install it in Blantyre while the second is to rehabilitate Tedzani I and II.
The third one is to interconnect Escom power system with that of Mozambique and fourthly to interconnect with Zambia and complete Kapichira Hydro Power Station II.
Economic Planning and Development Minister Bingu Mutharika said when any of the options are properly implemented, the energy sector will significantly help implement the growth strategy which is viewed as a business plan.
Early this year, the country suffered one of the worst power shortages when floods reduced power generating capacity at Nkula B by 100 megawatts, disrupting several businesses and industries and drawing an outcry from domestic consumers and manufacturers. |
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