K200m for Lilongwe street lights

Roads Fund Administration (RFA) has injected K200 million (about $ 297 000) from the fuel levy a project to install and renovate street lights in Lilongwe through a partnership with the Lilongwe City Council (LCC).

However, RFA says the onus of the project being sustained lies with LCC which will foot electricity bills and maintain the project.

Both peri-urban areas and low and high density townships will benefit from the project as the majority of roads in the city will also be maintained.

The two institutions announced this at a joint press briefing yesterday.

“As a fund, we believe that safety and security are paramount for economic growth. We want the citizenry to feel secure to do business even at night and we want pedestrians and other commuters to as well feel secure when travelling on our roads,” said RFA chief executive officer (CEO) Stewart Malata.

LCC CEO Moza Zeleza, while conceding that the city has previously struggled to settle electricity bills—leading to power disconnections, said the council was geared to work on modalities to ensure that the project is sustainable and future disconnections are averted.

“We will be aggressive in that regard, but we will also embark on talks with Escom [Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi] to find out if a new payment arrangement can be looked into. As a city council, we are not earning any revenue by having street lights. n