‘Transport policy ownership lacking’
Malawi needs an aggressive policy approach to work with the transit countries to ensure serviceability of infrastructure supporting trade supply chains, a transport and logistics expert has said.
The expert, Stallard Mpata, said Malawi has basic transport network connecting to the international logistics web of trade, but there is lack of consistent transport policy ownership to address the basic transit transport and logistics infrastructure and policies.
“Yet, much of the infrastructure to solve our transit transport and logistics weakness is already in place developed under the colonial and the first republic,” he said in a paper titled: ‘Creating a healthy supply chain: A case for transport logistics’.
Malawi has transport corridors such as Nacala, Beira, Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, among others that it uses for transportation of goods. But experts have argued that the transport corridors are not utilised to the fullest and have remained, and still are, in a poor state of repair.
“Each successive administration after the first republic has not aggressively built on previous initiatives or successes/activities, leaving the existing infrastructure unattended, at least looked at from an outsider’s point of view. And, unfortunately the development partners seem to have been complicit by going along with the status quo,” he said.
As if that is not enough, there is slow implementation of some regional policies such as the regional transit bond which has undergone multiple studies without concerted efforts of implementation, and no driver from the landlocked countries, as parties which would benefit most from its implementation.
Available figures show that Malawi’s foreign trade is unbalanced in volume and traffic flow. The country’s exports are also seasonal while imports are generally throughout the year.
The expert has urged authorities to ensure proper planning at national level to match some import and export traffic to cut costs.
As it is now, it means transportation of some imports is priced on return load basis and is eventually expensive.
Mpata has suggested that the Malawi government should prioritise transport policy that maintains and builds on the existing transport infrastructure in the country’s supply chain to ensure effective transit access to nearby ports of Nacala, Beira [in Mozambique], Dar es Salaam [Tanzania] and Durban [South Africa] to reduce the cost of logistics and transport component of the country’s supply chain to/from overseas markets.
He said Malawi needs to accelerate the building of the transit border posts as one stop border posts on the major corridor exit/entry points of Nacala, Mwanza, Dedza, Mchinji and Songwe.
“In view of the improved telecommunications and ICT [Information and Communication Technology] services, negotiate and implement use of harmonised documentation and procedures across the land borders,” said Mpata.
He also suggested the seeking of wider input in and harmonisation of transport planning and strategy by creating an active permanent national transport planning committee with membership of all key players in the transport and logistics sector.
Mpata said this ensure consistency in policy development and implementation at national and regional level to serve the country better.
Trade analysts have said Malawi must participate and compete in the global economy by exporting and importing of goods and because the country is landlocked, it have a sound, efficient and well prioritised transport and logistics infrastructure which ensures that goods move from one destination to another rapidly, reliably and cheaply.
