MERA demands quality work from electrical installers

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has called upon electrical installers to stick to quality work, writes Owen Nyaka.

Part of the audience during a sensitization meeting

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) an institution that was established under section 3 of the Energy Regulation Act to regulate energy undertakings in the country has called upon electrical installers to stick to quality work.

MERA Consumer and Public Relations Manager Fitina Khonje made the remarks in Salima district during electrical installations sensitization meeting held at Nezzer Lodge.

She said it is very important to interact with people who are their licenses or would be their licenses. Khonje said for electrical installers for instance they were sensitizing them on what are the requirements for them to get permits from MERA because the law requires detailed and elaborated provisions relating to electricity on matters relating to licensing of electricity undertakings, installation permits, supply, and quality of service, safety code rules, wiring, customer service, tariffs and charges which attracts various types of fees.

“It is very important to go out and meet various electrical installers from various districts because there are so many electrical installers who do not have these permits yet they are so many people who meet the minimum qualifications.

“This is very critical not only because the law requires every electrical installer to register but the consumers’ needs also to be protected. As MERA, we do monitor during the year to inspect if they comply with their work be it lodges, houses, offices, or businesses premises for their safety,” says Khonje.

She said they are aware that sometimes customers go for cheap labour but the electrical installers as professionals they should stick to their work because if anything happens with their work they are answerable so they have to do their very best.

“Consumers need to be protected so the installers should guide lay people in terms of standards. We do not want also consumers to waste their money on installers that do not know their work or on fake products,” says Khonje.

One of the electrical installers in Salima Jazel Mtemwende who does his work at Kaphatenga trading says the meeting is an eye-opener to him.

“I have grade one but my colleagues were telling me lies about requirements for one to get accredited or get MERA certificate,” says Mtemwende adding that ‘MERA should also engage their customers who mostly seek cheap labour.

During the sensitization meeting, it attracted about 90 electrical installers across the district and 2 of them were women. Amongst the topics tackled were rights and obligations of the electricity suppliers and customers, gazetted renewable energy standards and codes of practice as well as electrical installations.