Government says vandalism is a major challenge standing in the way of the Malawi Rural Electrification (MAREP)Phase 9.
Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola made the remarks in Parliament on Tuesday when responding to questions from members of Parliament on government’s efforts to ensure those in rural areas are connected to electricity under the programme.
One of the questions came from Samuel Malume Bokosi, MP for Machinga Central, who inquired about power lines included in MAREP 9 that have yet to be energized.
In response, the minister told parliamentarians that phase 9 faced a lot of vandalism but pointed out that plans to roll out phase 10 are at an advanced stage.
Earlier on Tuesday, Parliament passed the Real Estate Management Bill, which was discussed on Monday and was pending only one final stage.
The bill aims to protect people from fraudulent real estate practices by empowering the government to regulate estate agents, handle complaints, and issue licenses, among other measures.
