The coal comes through Moatize-Mwanza-Neno-Nkaya route to Nacala corridor
* Importers and exporters from the Central and Northern regions and Zambia are now well connected to the rail from Kanengo
* They no longer need to go to Liwonde in Balaka or Limbe in Blantyre to load or recieve their goods
* The rehabilitation of the rail continues up to the Mchinji to connect to Zambia through Mchinji One-Stop Border
* Whose time management in handling both passengers and cargo has improved tremendously
By Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express & Tione Andsen, MANA
A Nacala Logistics Malawi cargo train carrying a consignment of coal, has successfully delivered coal to a customer, Shayona Cement Limited in Lilongwe to signal the completion rail rehabilitation from Balaka to Kanengo.
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A statement from Ministry of Transport & Public Works, posted on its official Facebook page, shows a video of the train hauling coal from Moatize in Mozambique to Kanengo station on Wednesday.
The Ministry is urging coal users in the Capital that they now have the opportunity to get supplies through Nacala Logistics.
“In this regard traders/importers and exporters from the Central and Northern regions and Zambia are now well connected to the rail from Kanengo and no longer need to go to Liwonde or Limbe to load or recieve their goods.
“The railway connectivity is expected to positively impact in lowering transport costs for goods going to various destinations.
“As of now key trade destinations connected by the rail outside Malawi includes the port of Nacala and Moatize and also port of Beira which is connected via Marka railway line currently under construction,” said the statement.
Rail line from Moatize passing through Nkaya
Malawi railway network is headquartered at Limbe in Blantyre District, connecting with Mozambique through Limbe-Marka in Nsanje and connecting with Zambia’s Chipata Border through Limbe-Nkaya-Salima-Lilongwe-Mchinji.
At Nkaya, the rail branches off to Nayuchi for the Entre-Lagos border post of Mozambique. There is also a rail system from Moatize in Mozambique that passes through Mwanza-Neno-Nkaya-Liwonde up to Entre-Lagos that transports coal for Mozambique’s export.
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Thus for the Central and Northern regions and Zambia, the coal from Moatize, or any other cargo from Mozambique, will branch off at Nkaya for Lilongwe.
The rehabilitation of the rail continues up to the Mchinji to connect to Zambia through Mchinji One-Stop Border, whose time management in handling both passengers and cargo has improved tremendously.
This was announced by deputy station manager for Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Felix Mzilahowa yesterday in Mchinji when media houses visited the border post as part of orientation of Southern Africa Trade & Connectivity Project (SATCP) — funded by World Bank to stimulate trade on Nacala Corridor.
He said the previous facility was too small to handle large volumes of passengers and cargo but with the establishment of the new station, it has improved on time management.
Mzilahowa said in the past a passenger was taking two hours to be cleared but now takes not more than an hour while cargo clearance was taking two days but now it takes two hours.
Mzilahowa
“The Border operations are going on well just because we have new facility and the processes have been simplified since the introduction One-Stop Border Post.
“Before this new structure was built we had many hustles — we did not have enough space or car parking area and even offices we were using were too small to accommodate passengers on daily basis.”
Mzilahowa added that the border post, which was commissioned by President Lazarus Chakwera and his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema in December 2022, has seen the increase in the importation of tiles than any other border in the country due to efficiency in time management.
He further said before the establishment of the facility, the revenue generation was ranging from K1.1 billion in a month but now they are collecting about K3 billion a month.
On smuggling of goods from Zambia into Malawi, the deputy station manager said it has been reduced because the facility has the provision of a Police post and are assisting in patrolling the uncharted routes
He said the presence of the Post has had an impact which has helped to increase revenue per month and he also informed the media that the installation of smart gates has helped to provide information and data on goods and vehicles passing through the border — and most of it is provided to National Statistical Office (NSO).
He said the gates are helping to intercept smuggled vehicles from Zambia and South Africa.
A business lady from Lilongwe, Maria Joseph said the new facility has accelerated speed in clearing of their goods, saying: “We used to spend days for MRA to clear our goods but this a thing of the past. Previously most small scale business people were using uncharted routes to avoid delays at the border..
The Mchinji One-Stop Border Post was constructed to improve the efficiency of border operations and contribute towards improving economies of both Zambia and Malawi.
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