Escom decries loss due to illegal connections

Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has decried the loss of revenue due to illegal connections which the sole power supplier says is rampant nationwide.

Escom spokesperson Innocent Chitosi said in an interview on Monday the revenue lost, in millions of kwacha, could have helped it implement other equally important activities.

“The malpractice is rampant and happening across the country which is affecting our operations,” he said, without quantifying how much the parastatal loses.

To curb the malpractice, Escom says it has intensified sensitisation campaigns nationwide.

Said Chitosi: “We are carrying out civic education campaigns, urging community members to collaborate with us to root out this malpractice.

“We have put in place some security measures and they are already yielding results.”

He observed that the malpractice is perpetrated by some prospective customers who have been avoiding to pay fees that Escom charges for its services.

“Some customers think that the under-the-counter deals are faster but we should not operate that way,” he said.

Chitosi praised the introduction of prepaid meters, saying they are helping the company to collect more revenue.

“We are assured that customers pay for what they use. This is also helpful because we do not have to send meter readers to disconnect defaulting customers.

“Prepaid is also convenient to our customers as they are able to monitor and manage their consumption,” he said. In June this year, Escom team stormed Bangwe Township in Blantyre and Nguludi in Chiradzulu where they discovered illegal connections at three maize mills and a residential structure.