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The visiting United Kingdom Water Aid delegation has warned Malawi to be cautious in the way it involves the private sector in the supply and distribution of water so that in the process the underprivileged are not denied access to safe water.
Head of National Funding for Water Aid UK Alan Machin said just like in most countries, including the UK itself, for the sake of efficiency and profitability it could be a welcome development to have facilities like water being run through private sector participation since, he said, most often government has no such capacity.
“But to make sure that people still have access to clean and safe water at an affordable cost and at the same time to give the local communities power, it is important that the same people should be involved and be part of the private sector running such facilities; for example through cooperatives,” he said.
Machin led a nine-member group of UK officials from Water Aid, House of Commons, one of UK water companies and the media into the country to access how Water Aid projects are fairing.
They were in the country from Tuesday to Sunday and toured several projects run by Water Aid.
Machin said after meeting and discussing with Minister of Irrigation and Water Development Sidik Mia they have hope that government would carefully implement the water private sector participation without marginalising the poorest of the poor.
He also said his group was impressed and humbled with the projects which Water Aid was doing in the country.
Water Aid Country Representative Robert Kampala also said as a local chapter of the international organisation which ensures that everyone has access to clean and safe water they would not support the privatisation of water that would marginalize the poor of the poorest.
“We encourage private sector participation but we look at water as a social good. So we would want government to ensure the poor would benefit from all services,” said Kampala.
According to Kampala, Water Aid in the country reaches out to over 10,000 people per year with clean and safe water as well as better sanitation but he said they were looking at doubling the figure in the next five years.
Government announced early this year that it would engage in a programme of privatising the water boards in the country through what officials called private sector participation. However, the move has met stiff opposition among water boards’ employees as well as the civil society.
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