Talks on Nacala Corridor development continue
Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique have been challenged to remove all bottlenecks by developing infrastructure and implementing legal and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the provision of safe, cost-effective and efficient movement of goods and people among the three countries.
Ministry of Transport and Public Works Principal Secretary Hastings Chiudzu made the remarks in Lilongwe on Thursday during the 7th Tripartite Nacala Development Corridor Management Committee Meeting (NDCMC).
NDCMC is a trilateral committee established in 2000 by the three member States to, among others, collaborate on transport and trade facilitation and develop, improve and maintain infrastructure services of the corridor.
The meeting was organised to review progress on action plans by different clusters and develop action plans for the next six months and for the first time, the Council of Ministers will convene to deliberate on establishing the legal framework for operations of road and rail transport.
The PS indicated that Malawi is working hard to ensure that the Nacala and Beira corridors have facilities that would promote trade and movement of goods.
Said Chiudzu: “We appreciate investments being made by Mozambique to develop the Nacala Port and road and rail infrastructure leading to it.
“We should, therefore, all aim to make good use of these investments and ensure that our respective countries make a good return from the improved infrastructure.”
In his remarks, Zambia’s Transport and Logistics permanent secretary Frederick Mwalusaka observed that bureaucracy has delayed some of the projects, but said the Nacala Development Corridor is of great significance and; therefore, shouldn’t be rushed.
He said: “You need to ensure that the required documents such as agreements are in place, and the agreements have to be subjected to legal systems in each country and approved, so that is something that takes a bit of time.”
According to the cluster reports, the Immigration cluster is expected to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the next six months under border-pass system between Malawi and Mozambique.
Under trade cluster, there are plans to simplify the trade regime among the three member-States to have tradable commodities while the transport infrastructure cluster reported to have conducted an aerial study in Malawi along Muloza Border.
The Nacala Road Corridor is the shortest route to the sea for Malawi and Zambia.
The catchment area of the Nacala Road Corridor extends from Lusaka in Zambia through Malawi and northern Mozambique to Nacala Port.
Other beneficiaries include import and export firms in Malawi, Zambia, and northern Mozambique as well as tourists who use the corridor to reach desired sites in the three countries.
