Deputy Director of Policy and Planning in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Charles Mtonga has argued the media in the country to actively report on the World Bank funded Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP).
Speaking when he officially opened a two day media orientation workshop at Mponela in Dowa Mtonga said SATCP is a project aimed at increasing trade between Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. He said the project is improving transport infrastructure along the Nacala corridor and will help to increase trade volume between the three countries. Mtonga said active reporting of the project will help to increase awareness on the new developments along the corridor.
In his speech Project Manager Hastings Ngoma said that among others the project will rehabilitate the Liwonde to Matawale road and build a new one stop border post at Muloza and construct a weigh bridge in Liwonde Ngoma said since its launch in 2021 the project has achieved a lot in putting in place facilities that are easing trade between the three countries.
Ngoma said the process to procure contractor and consultant for the Matawale to Liwonde is underway and that they are expecting the contractor to be engaged before the end of 2024. According to Ngoma the actual works are expected to start early next year at the end of the rainy season.
Apart from infrastructure projects the SATCP has software components that are being implemented by the Malawi Revenue Authority, Malawi Bureau of Standards and the Ministry of Trade and Industries aimed at reducing paper work at entry and exit points of the three countries connected by the Nacala Corridor.
It is expected that trade volumes between Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia will increase heavily when all elements of the projects are implemented at the end of the project in 2027.
The SATCP project is under the Ministry of Transport and Public works and its secretariat is house in the Ministry building at Capital Hill.