Malawi, MOZ to end local transporters woes
Governments of Malawi and Mozambique have agreed to set up a complaints handling committee to help resolve misunderstandings that arise between transporters from Malawi and other authorities in Mozambique.
For a long time, Malawian transporters have been complaining of ill-treatment at the hands of Mozambican police.
Their complaints include unjustified road penalties for parking, alleged over loading and, in some instances, minor accidents.
Ministry of Industry and Trade Joseph Mwanamvekha, in an interview on Thursday, promised that the challenges are set to minimise following discussions he had with his counterpart in Mozambique Ernesto Max Tonela.
He said: “Malawian transporters have always complained that they are sometimes forced to pay fines which are not justifiable. The charges relate to parking of vehicles even in the case when a truck has justifiably broken down.
“We requested Mozambique to issue advance notices on any new fees so that it is not a surprise to our transporters. In addition, we also indicated that Malawi vehicles bearing red numbers were being asked for permits without which they were paying $50 (about K34 500) and Malawi does not charge for that”
On his part, Tonela expressed happiness with Malawi’s proposal and wanted to go through the terms of reference (TORs)) of the committee before concluding the matter.
A trade expert said in view of the formation of the committee, Ministry of Foreign Affair, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Road Transport Operators Association were supposed to be automatic members of the committee to help in solving the challenges.
