Malawi, Mozambique in air service agreement

Malawi and Mozambique have signed a bilateral air service agreement to facilitate air travel between the two countries.

Following the agreement, flights from the two countries will be landing in each other’s territory without any restrictions as long as they meet aviation requirements.

Speaking yesterday at the end of the two countries’ four-day joint technical meeting on transport in Blantyre, Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara said the agreement will help to boost the two countries’ economic activities.

He said the meeting also discussed a number of issues that would help to improve the transportation sector in the countries.

Said Hara: “We are trying to improve the use of the railway to Mozambique and we have also been engaging them on how to construct a fuel pipeline so that we further reduce the cost of landing oil into this country.”

Mozambique Minister of Transport and Communications Mateus Magala noted that the transport sector makes the two countries’ economies interconnected as a single space of economic opportunities that requires permanent consultation and consensus.

He further observed that most of the country’s systems are too slow, particularly in borders and asked the Malawi Government to improve the system to speed up cargo movements.

Said Magala: “As the Government of Mozambique, we confirm our total readiness and availability to jointly implement several initiatives that allow the removal of all barriers that affect the mobility of people and goods between countries in the region and the development of integrated economic spaces that will multiply social and economic opportunities for all.”

He said his government expects the resumption of commercial trains between Mozambique and Malawi, the removal of railway borders in the transport of goods and the establishment of one-stop borders, among others.

Commenting on the slowness of Malawi’s systems, Hara said his ministry will engage Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services to address the challenges.

Malawi on October 6 signed a trilateral agreement with the governments of Zambia and Mozambique to manage the Nacala Corridor and transport their cargo along the route to create economic opportunities for people in the three countries.