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Two months after Malawi and Mozambique revised the much awaited electricity tapping deal it has now been confirmed that the agreement will be signed in Malawi in two weeks time and not in Mozambique as earlier planned.
Minister of Energy Mr. Ibrahim Matola said in an interview the delay to put pen to paper was propelled by some logistical problems which have since been resolved.
“The deal will be signed in the first week of April,” confirmed Matola in an interview.
In January the two countries revised the pact where they agreed that Mozambique will also channel power lines to the other end of that country through Malawi.
This means that power lines into Malawi will also divert to other parts of that country apparently to create a win-win situation.
Signing of the agreement will facilitate the power tapping process.
“We have now concluded discussing on the power tapping deal, an I can confirm that venue for the signing ceremony have changed also. This will be done here in Malawi within the first week of next month,” said Matola.
In June 2012, the two countries drafted guidelines towards the rolling out of the transfer of electricity from Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa hydroelectric plant into Malawi.
Prior to this, Malawi President Joyce Banda and her Mozambican counterpart Armando Gebuza agreed in May 2012 to revive plans for Mozambique to begin supplying electric power to Malawi.
The deal flopped during President Bingu wa Mutharika’s regime because that the costs outweighed the benefits.
In January this year, there was a new twist to the pact when the two neighboring countries revised the pact, that Mozambique will also channel power lines to the other end of that country through Malawi.
The Malawi-Mozambique power interconnection deal, which was rolled back in 2009, has encountered various alterations at various levels over the years.
The two neighboring countries have now also agreed increase the power capacity Maputo is to transfer to Lilongwe up from 220 kilo volts to about 400.
