Govt allocates K1bn against K12.6bn for Mzuzu roads

Government has allocated only K1 billion in this year’s national budget to be used for construction of tarmac roads in Mzuzu City but the council says it needs about K12.6 billion if it is to realise the dream of having 10 priority roads upgraded to tarmac roads.

Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Mzuzu City Council director of engineering Frazer Bondwe said the council on August 4 came up with 10 priority roads following a series of consultations with various stakeholders on the roads to prioritise.

He said the prioritised roads total 63 kilometres and for every kilometre, the council needs about K200 million, including cost for street lights and culverts.

“The K1 billion allocated is not enough to cover the roads, but officials will see which road to be allocated that amount. In fact, the Luwinga–Dunduzu Road is the most prioritised since it is in an industrial area,” said Bondwe.

He said lack of tarmac roads is negatively affecting development in the city, noting that many people who have been allocated plots in the industrial areas are failing to develop the plots due to lack of good roads.

“This, in turn, affects revenue collection. Industrial areas are crucial for generating revenue, as such, we wish we could have tarmac roads in such places,” he said.

In a letter to Roads Authority, Mzuzu City chief executive officer Thomas Chirwa also states that the K1 billion is not enough for upgrading the roads.

However, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe said the K1 billion was allocated to see if the city can manage to construct tarmac roads.

“The last time an allocation was made, the roads [in the city] were poorly done,” said Gondwe.

The city has a lot of earth roads which become muddy during the rainy season.