Maravi

Malawi hopes for speedy Mchinji railway works

Malawi hopes for speedy Mchinji railway works
By Chibaula Silwamba
Monday September 15, 2008 [04:00]

MALAWI is hopeful that the construction of the Mchinji railway line will now be accelerated, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika's chief political advisor Dr Hetherwick Ntaba has said. Dr Ntaba attributed the delays in completing the construction of the railway line to changes in governments and diversion of resources to emergencies that had befallen the concerned countries - Malawi and Zambia - in the past.

"You know the delays to finish the Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway line could be attributed to a number of things. Since that project started, we have had changes of governments and there have been a number of development challenges, we have had priorities intervening in between; disease emergencies, hunger, poverty and other needs which have demanded the resources that we have in government," he explained.

"Priorities have been diverted to other emergencies so that the Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway project has had to wait for these other priorities.”

Dr Ntaba said the availability of resources now gave hope that the project would be completed.

"I think as we get along, these priorities are being re-assessed and resources are becoming more and more available," said Dr Ntaba. "We have every hope that this project will now speed up as we have seen recently."

The Mchinji railway line project started about 25 years ago and Malawi completed its part but Zambia has been struggling to finish the project on its side. In this year's national budget, the Zambian government allocated K10 billion towards the completion of the Chipata-Mchinji railway line.

The Zambia-Mchinji-Malawi-Salima railway line was conceived as a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi in 1982 but the Zambian government withdrew from the project after about 10 years due to financial constraints.

The railway project was resumed in 2006 and was supposed to be completed in December 2007 but to date, the Zambian government is still struggling to finish its part.
Last Saturday, Vice-President Rupiah Banda observed that the Mchinji railway line was so far progressing very well.

"Once completed, the railway line will greatly contribute to economic development of this province and will enhance economic growth primarily of the three countries; that is Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia commonly known as the Nacala corridor," said Vice-President Banda.

Labels: MALAWI, MCHINJI, RAIL

posted by MrK @ 4:03 PM