* Government has found innovative ways of financing infrastructure projects, including securing loans from local banks
* All roads that will be constructed by Government will have toll gates so that we can raise money for maintenance and also repay the bank loans
* The arrangement would enable government to implement major road projects while ensuring resources were available for maintenance and repayment of the loans
By George Mponda, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
Minister of Transport & Public Works, Jappie Mhango, says rehabilitation works on the Chiweta Karonga (M001) Road are expected to start in November 2026 and be completed within 24 months.
Mhango said this on Saturday during an engagement meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Karonga, where he said the government has found innovative ways of financing infrastructure projects, including securing loans from local banks.
“All roads that will be constructed by Government will have toll gates so that we can raise money for maintenance and also repay the bank loans,” he said, adding that the arrangement would enable implementation of major road projects while ensuring resources were available for maintenance and repayment of the loans.
Mhango said procurement processes for the Chiweta-Karonga road rehabilitation were underway and warned against taking shortcuts.
He said the government had learnt lessons from the construction of the Karonga-Songwe road, which he said was badly done, adding that the lessons would help ensure the Chiweta-Karonga stretch was durable.
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The Minister further said the previous administration had neglected periodic maintenance of the Chiweta-Karonga Road, resulting in its deterioration due to lack of resources from road levies.
He said two contractors would be identified to undertake the rehabilitation works to be completed within 24 months and going forward, regularly updates will be provided on the project through the Ministry’s public relations office and the Roads Authority.
Mhango also said rehabilitation of Mzuzu Airport was almost complete and staff had already been deployed, while rehabilitation of Karonga International Airport was progressing.
Mhango said the developments would boost local air transport and that Government also wanted to modernise ports across the country, including Chilumba Port.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Cuthbert Mkandawire said the poor condition of the Chiweta-Karonga road had increased travelling time from about three hours to seven hours.
“We are now spending seven hours travelling from Mzuzu to Karonga, when in good road conditions the journey used to take only three hours,” said Mkandawire.
He added that more than K37 billion was collected monthly at Songwe Border and estimated that about 100 small vehicles and 300 trucks enter the border, questioning the source of funding for the road project.
He called for the works to start quickly, saying CSOs should be closely engaged to help save lives, particularly those of patients travelling for medical referrals.
Mkandawire also called for competent international standard contractors to be considered to ensure quality and durable works.
He said CSOs would closely monitor the project to ensure that works progressed as planned and project resources were protected.
Chairperson for Chilumba Development Initiative, Goodluck Wandezo asked the government to consider rehabilitating Chilumba Port to ease pressure on roads and accelerate work on Karonga International Airport to boost local flights, which he said people in Karonga could afford.—Editing by Maravi Express
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