Malawi, Japan Sign $2.7 Million Grant for Lilongwe Road Equipment

Malawi and Japan have signed a $2.7 million (approximately K4.4 billion) grant agreement to provide Lilongwe City Council with road construction and rehabilitation equipment to improve road maintenance in the capital.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Lilongwe on Friday, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mathyola Mwanamvekha thanked the Japanese government and its people for supporting Malawi’s urban infrastructure development.

Mwanamvekha said the grant would enhance Lilongwe City Council’s capacity to maintain and rehabilitate roads, helping to address the city’s road infrastructure challenges.

“On behalf of President Arthur Peter Mutharika and the Ministry, we sincerely appreciate JICA for this timely support,” he said.

The minister appealed to Japan to extend similar assistance to other cities, particularly Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu, which also need road maintenance equipment to improve their infrastructure.

He said additional support for urban infrastructure would help local authorities improve service delivery and ensure that roads remained in good condition.

Mwanamvekha assured the Japanese government that the equipment would be used for its intended purpose to deliver maximum benefits to the country.

He also urged city councils to strengthen their revenue collection systems, particularly through improved collection of city rates and rents, to enhance their financial independence.

The minister further encouraged local authorities to explore establishing commercial enterprises as an additional source of revenue to support their operations and development projects.

Japanese Ambassador to Malawi Nairo Yasushi said the grant would provide Lilongwe City Council with nine pieces of heavy machinery for road construction and rehabilitation.

Yasushi said the equipment would introduce more efficient technology to support road maintenance and rehabilitation works in the capital.

He also highlighted Japan’s continued cooperation with Malawi in infrastructure development, noting that the handover of the Lilongwe Bridge had been completed, while further infrastructure initiatives were being pursued in some of the city’s busiest areas under programmes linked to the Nacala Corridor.

The ambassador said road infrastructure was particularly important to Malawi because approximately 90 per cent of the movement of goods and people depended on road transport.

He said improving the road network would facilitate the movement of people and goods, strengthen trade and promote regional economic integration.