The meeting at Capital Hill on Friday
* A proposed independent institution expected to strengthen the regulation and oversight of the country’s railway and maritime transport sectors
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Ministry of Transport & Public Works reports that it has intensified stakeholder consultations towards the establishment of the Railways and Marine Regulatory Authority of Malawi (RAMRAM) — a proposed independent institution expected to strengthen the regulation and oversight of the country’s railway and maritime transport sectors.
Malawi rail and maritime system that is underutilised
As part of the process, the Ministry reports that together with the project’s consultant, held separate consultative meetings on Friday, November 13, 2026, with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and the Malawi Police Service (MPS) at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.
“The two institutions, which are key stakeholders in the country’s maritime sector, provided valuable input on the proposed framework, particularly on matters relating to maritime safety, security, institutional coordination and emergency response,” reports the Ministry on its official Facebook account.
“The consultations build on an earlier stakeholders’ meeting held two months ago, during which a proposed institutional framework was reviewed.
“The ongoing engagements are intended to gather further technical and institutional input to ensure that the proposed regulatory authority is responsive to the country’s transport sector needs and clearly defined regulatory responsibilities.”
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The Ministry adds that the establishment of RAMRAM “is part of Government’s broader efforts to separate railway industry regulation from railway operations, thereby strengthening regulatory independence, improving accountability and enhancing efficiency in the sector”.
“The proposed authority is also expected to strengthen maritime regulation, including the development of effective search-and-rescue arrangements, improved coordination among relevant institutions and enhanced capacity to respond to emergencies on the country’s lakes.
“Ultimately, the establishment of RAMRAM is expected to contribute to safer, more efficient and reliable rail and maritime transport services, promote the movement of heavy cargo through alternative transport modes and help reduce the country’s overall transportation and logistics costs.
“The consultations mark an important step towards finalising the proposed institutional framework and advancing the process of operationalising RAMRAM.”
Over the week, Ministry also reported that it has stepped up efforts to restore the full operational capacity of Chipoka Port following close to two decades of inactivity, which significantly constrained waterborne trade and transportation on Lake Malawi.
As part of the restoration programme, Malawi Lake Service (MLS) Limited is currently assembling the Ministry’s dredger at Chipoka for a dredging exercise aimed at achieving the required water depth to facilitate safe vessel navigation and docking.
The Ministry said this forms part of Government’s broader efforts to rehabilitate the Chipoka Port, which once fully restored, is expected to play a critical role in facilitating the movement of bulk cargo between road, rail and water transport systems.
“This will help ease pressure on the road network, improve logistics efficiency and contribute to reducing the cost of freight transportation.
“Chipoka is strategically positioned as Malawi’s key multimodal transport hub, offering an important link between road, rail and water transport.
“Its restoration is therefore expected to unlock significant opportunities for trade, strengthen regional connectivity and support economic growth,” reported the Ministry.
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