Africa-Press – Malawi. Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) has received International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) 1001 accreditation for meeting the required quality of delivery.
ISO is an international organisation that monitors service delivery in various industries in conformity and compliance with international standards on quality management.
According to the board, the certification symbolises level of compliance to customer and regulatory requirements governing the industry. LWB Chief Executive Officer Silli Mbewe said that the body has been working on its strategic plan since 2020 and that it has been following its strategic direction.
“If you look at our vision, we are not only looking at ourselves on the part of Malawi, but we want to be a leading customer-focused financially viable utility in the African region.
“We realised that we needed to raise our bar of service delivery. We needed to generate that customer confidence and trust. We needed to generate confidence in the regulatory system,” Mbewe said.
Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia said the certification entails efficiency on the board’s part and will build confidence in customers. She commended LWB management for the achievement which, she said, is a demonstration of hard work.
“Water boards are fighting to improve their standards. If you look at their water testing facilities, they are all fighting to achieve high standards, but it does take time. As you can see, Lilongwe Water Board has come a long way,” Mia said
Water and Sanitation specialist at the World Bank Odete Muximpua, who is also the Task Team Leader for Water and Sanitation Project, said the bank has been working with the board and the attainment of the ISO certification is a result of hard work under the project.
ISO has about 160 member institutions. Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
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