BY BLAIR MHONE
President Lazarus Chakwera, who has often stated that his government will keep its campaign promises despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 outbreak, has followed through on his vow to provide free water connection to all Malawians.
The development is one of the key promises by Chakwera led Tonse government made during campaign period leading up to the 2020 fresh presidential election.
A statement released by the minister of water and sanitation Abida Mia says this is one way of removing barriers to low income households in accessing potable water.
“Traditionally, the Water Boards have been connecting customers upon receipt of connection fees. This system has, however, been a barrier for low-income households to access clean water and safe sanitation.
“As a result, among low-income households, there has been a high prevalence of water-borne diseases and poor school performance,” reads part of the statement.
The Government expects that following the new policy, the attainment of the aspirations in Malawi 2063 will be accelerated and the country will be on a steady path to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring ‘Clean Water and Safe Sanitation for All’ by 2030.
The statement further adds that guidelines are being formulated and will be communicated to the public in due course.
