MACRA impressed with road signage installation progress in Nkhata Bay

Suleman (right) inspecting progress of the exercise

* All the streets in the country will be properly named and all the signage to be visible at all corners

* This is part of the National Address System (NAS) which MACRA has rolled out in districts

* Having almost completed the pilot phases in the country’s major cities

By Chisomo Kambandanga, MANA

Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General, Daud Suleman says he is happy with the progress of road signage installation in Nkhata Bay District, saying it is their wish that all the streets in the country are properly named and all the signage are visible at all corners.

This is part of the National Address System (NAS) which MACRA has rolled out in districts, having almost completed the pilot phases in the country’s major cities.

Suleman paid a surprise visit to Nkhata Bay on Monday to monitor work progress of signage installation to different streets in the district and expressed satisfaction of the progress.

“Soon after signage installation, we will start writing the street names because the names have already been given by the community themselves,” he said.

Suleman added that street naming will go concurrently with house naming whose logistics are also in the final stages as the delivery of house number plates will be done soon.

He, therefore, urged all Malawians to embrace the National Address System which MACRA is championing and take care of all the infrastructures that are being put up in different places as they are national assets.

District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Rogers Newa commended MACRA for visiting the district to appreciate the true reflection of what is happening on the ground, while warning the public against vandalizing the signage posts.

When launching the NAS exercise for the districts last week in Blantyre, MACRA’s acting Director of Postal Services, Burnet Namacha was quoted by the media as saying once completed, NAS will bring many social and economic benefits to the country hence all stakeholders need to join hands to ensure proper execution of the project.

He said this when the regulatory authority held a meeting to sensitise Blantyre District Council stakeholders — that included chiefs, Ward Councilors and Members of Parliament on the NAS to be launched in Blantyre rural.

He was quoted by Malawi News Agency (MANA) as saying: “We first did pilot phase in selected areas, such as Namiwawa, Chinyonga, Ndirande Safarao, Makata and Ginnery Corner, among other areas, before rolling out in other parts of our major cities like Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu.

“The project includes six components of a national postcode system, addressing standards, address and postcode database, geographic information system support for the addressing database and public awareness,” he said, adding that the awareness is a continuous process.

However, he expressed worry over high vandalism of the installed properties and urged chiefs and ward councilors to conduct massive sensitisation in their communities to safeguard public infrastructure.

MANA also spoke to Blantyre District Council chairperson, Mike Malikita, who said they will work with MACRA to ensure the project is completed on time, saying on the vandalism, the Council will conduct heavy sensitisation.

“Above all, will work with the Police to ensure that such properties are protected,” Malikita said. “I am told the project is aimed at giving physical addresses to every property and home. This has several benefits.”

He then urged all stakeholders in Blantyre to welcome this development, saying in other countries NAS has become an integral part of one’s identity.

In his remarks, Senior Chief Kapeni said the coming in of the project signifies that things are slowly changing for the better in the country: “This is long overdue. I wish this could have come several years back but better late than never.

“I am ready to support government as this project is being implemented in the district. I will extensively sensitise people so that they should easily embrace this,” Kapeni said.

MACRA has so far made some strides on NAS that includes completion of pilot phase, development of new addressing standards and codes, ongoing public awareness & sensitisation and preparations for national roll out.—Additional reporting by Maravi Express