Govt extends visa fees payment

Government has said payment of visa by visiting foreign nationals, as part of reforms in the public sector, would be implemented and be applicable to all countries that charge Malawians visa fees.

Immigration Department a week ago issued a notice that all Americans entering Malawi should start paying visa fee equivalent to what Malawians pay when entering their country, $160 (about K73 000).

But the directive, communicated to all immigration officers in the country’s border posts and airports, was immediately suspended within 24 hours.

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Atupele Muluzi said in an interview on Thursday that the directive, which was supposed to be a communication within government, was wrongly and prematurely issued.

Muluzi explained that as part of reforms in the public service, government was indeed planning to introduce visa fees that will be applicable to all persons entering Malawi.

The minister said the immigration notice, which he admitted originated from his ministry, was erroneously issued when discussions were still underway, adding that was why it was suspended almost immediately.

He said the decision was supposed to be gazetted before being implemented, and covering all countries that ask Malawians to pay visa and not a specific country.

He said government understood the stress the US citizens faced following the notice and its immediate implementation, adding that they communicated to the US Embassy in Lilongwe about the withdrawal of the notice.

Immigration Department deputy spokesperson Chilungamo Kapulula said in an interview on Thursday that the department received a directive from the ministry to issue the notice and later an instruction that it be withdrawn. n