MALAWI has officially switched on its new but controversial 64 megawatts hydro-power project, bringing the country’s total power output to 234 megawatts. The much-delayed $130m dollar Kapichira hydro-project was declared open by President Bakili Muluzi at the weekend. Work had been halted in 1992 after donors withdrew all aid to Malawi to put pressure on the regime of former dictator Kamuzu Banda into implementing human rights and democratic reforms. The International Development Association (IDA), an affliate of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) and German and Netherlands technical agencies co-financed the project. – AFP