By Loness Gwazanga

Blantyre, March 21, Mana: Government has described energy development as a significant catalyst for the country to attain a middle-class economy.

Director of Information, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi was speaking on Saturday in Blantyre during a media training aimed at equipping journalists with vital information on Power Market Limited (PML), a government newly established entity responsible for purchasing and selling of power.

Mtumodzi said government plans to grow in the energy sector with 1000 Megawatts by the year 2025 and therefore, journalists should ensure that citizens understand what is happening in the sector in terms of electricity generation, power market as well as distribution.

“It is the wish of the government to attain a middle-class economy and energy is a vehicle towards achieving this vision. What you see in your environment about energy is worth reporting. Energy remains vital to everyone and we should work hard so that together we can achieve sustainable energy for future generations,” said Mtumodzi.

PML Director of Marketing and Corporate Services, Villant Jana described the meeting as timely taking into consideration that the media is essential in information sharing as it reaches out to people of different social classes rapidly.

Jana, however, was quick to mention that PML, established in 2018 under Act of Parliament, does not issue licenses but only purchases electricity from Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) and other Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and sell to distributors such as Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) for distribution to the end users.

“PML does not issue licenses. Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) is responsible for that and oversees ESCOM, EGENCO as well as the National Oil Company (NOCMA) which fall in the energy sector. PML is only involved in planning on how all these intend to operate in order to serve Malawians better,” said Jana.  

The Single Buyer function was established under the Electricity Act of Parliament of 2016 (amended) and PML was registered in 2018. However, PML commenced its operations in January 2020 as a Single Buyer licensee.

It was granted the license following a joint application between ESCOM and the company itself to transfer the same in 2020 from ESCOM, which had for the past years performed all the duties from electricity generation, transmission, selling as well as distribution.

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