By Alfred Chauwa – Snr Business Analyst
Malawi Parliament in exercise of standing orders has unanimously passed loan authorisation bill into law which seeks to authorize the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Malawi to borrow from the European Investment Bank an amount in various convertible currencies, not exceeding in the aggregate, the equivalent of thirty-eight million Euros (EUR 38,000,000) as funding for the Malawi M1 Road Rehabilitation II C Project.
Presenting the Bill Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamveka loan will help with the rehabilitation of about
347 kilometres of the single-carriage M1 Road with no changes to the existing
alignment.
Mwanamveka said , the M1 Road is part of the North-South Corridor that links the two
port cities of Dar-es-Salaam in the United Republic Tanzania and Durban in the
Republic of South Africa. Approximately 1,145 kilometres of the North-South
Corridor passes through Malawi via the M1 Road.
According to the minister, the Project includes five distinct sections as follows:
(a) Karonga-Songwe (46 kilometres), which will involve a mix of
reconstruction and overlay with surface dressing and widening with drainage
improvements.
(b) Kacheche-Chiweta (66.5 kilometres), which will involve pavement
reconstruction and widening, raising the finished road level to eliminate
overtopping significant increase in the capacity of the cross drainage including
replacement of existing corrugated metal culverts with concrete pipes or box
culverts; revision of the horizontal alignment, provision of a climbing lane of
concrete surfacing to provide a viable surface over the steep gradient-tight
curves sections.
(c) Jenda-Mzimba (46.5 kilometres), which will involve pavement reconstruction and widening to strengthen the existing pavement; and replacement of existing corrugated metal culverts with concrete pipes or box culverts;
(d) Kasungu-Jenda (85.5 kilometres), which will involve pavement
reconstruction to strengthen the existing pavement; widening of 5 bridges to
accommodate the new road cross section; and replacement of existing corrugated metal culverts with concrete pipes or box culverts; and
(e) Kamuzu International Airport-Kasungu (102 kilometres), which will
involve pavement reconstruction and widening; widening of 5 bridges and 2
large box culverts to accommodate the new road cross section; raising of
Lumbadzi and Kasakadzi Bridges to enhance climate adaptation and protection of the structures against floods; and replacement of existing corrugated metal
culverts with concrete pipes or box culverts.
Commenting on the bill , Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Spokesperson on Finance Peter Dimba advised Government to use the funds for the intended purposes.
