MACRA needs MK26b to implement NAS

By Antony Isaiah Jr……

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has disclosed that funds of about MK26 Billion is needed to fully implement the National Addressing System in all the 28 Districts in the country.

MACRA Director General, Daudi Suleiman said apart from the four major cities of Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu where NAS implementation started, the implementation exercise is being extended to district councils.

Speaking during the press briefing in Lilongwe, Suleiman disclosed that $25 Million is needed to reach all the districts in the country with the system.

“We will need about $25 Million to fully implement the system in all the Districts in the country. Its a capacity building exercise,” he said.

Meanwhile, Suleman has called upon local leaders to own the system saying the project will be successful only if local leaders work hand in hand with MACRA in implementing it.

MACRA is implementing NAS across the country in a phased approach after a successful pilot phase that was done in Blantyre. NAS has led to the first ever postcodes for the country. The postcodes were developed and gazette in 2019.

The first phase of the system has already been completed with new address standards,NSA rules and postcodes all developed.

Currently, MACRA is doing the Public sensitisation and awareness, National Roll-out and GIS Mapping and Data Extraction.

National Addressing System is a framework that provides for among others, naming and numbering of streets, numbering of properties such as buildings and parcels of land to facilitate identification and the location of a parcel or dwelling on the ground.