By Pickson Chipeso and Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, November 11, Mana: The Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information, and Communication has expressed concern over poor internet and call services provided by Airtel Malawi.

Speaking on Tuesday at Parliament during a meeting with Airtel Malawi's Acting Managing Director, Committee Chairperson Susan Dosi stated that they have been receiving complaints from customers about the poor services being provided.

"We invited them to understand the challenges they are facing and to learn about the plans they are implementing to ensure these issues are resolved. As we are aware communication is key and most of the times people do business online and also communicate online with colleagues, if people are failing to do that because of poor internet or calls services, that's a big challenge. So we invited them to explain to us as a Committee on these challenges," she said.

According to Dosi, the Airtel Managing Director highlighted that the on-going road construction is the cause of their poor services due to cutting of fibres as well as vandalism. She also added that as a Committee they would like to visit the places where fibers were cut off.

"So as a Committee, we would want to go and visit these places as you are aware we also invited them to come and answer why they are not putting their gates on towers that have been constructed under last mile project, as a committee we are there to represent people and connectivity is a key and we cannot be quite. So we want to go and verify what is indeed happening on the ground," said Dosi.

Airtel Malawi Acting Managing Director, Abdul Shaik, said they are taking all necessary steps to ensure people in different communities are having access to all services.

"We are confident and can demonstrate the efforts we have made as a company to ensure the protection and maintenance of the high quality of services provided to the public," commented Shaik.