US foreign aid agency the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Government of Malawi (GoM) have cemented a partnership aimed at accelerated growth corridors in the landlocked country, whereby critical road infrastructure will be upgraded and expanded.
The latest development, intended to empower rural communities in different parts of Malawi, follows after the two governments signed the Malawi Transport and Land Compact in September 2022, to address the high cost of road freight transport services and access to land, for investment.
The Compact will support Malawi’s efforts to foster inclusive economic growth and improve the well-being of rural populations.
The Accelerated Growth Corridors (AGC) Project, a key part of the Compact, will reduce transport barriers between farms and markets by improving over 300 kilometres of roads along four corridors in Malawi.
In addition to upgrading existing roads to paved standards with bridges and drainage structures, the project will also address the backlog in periodic maintenance of these roads and associated unpaved community-access roads.
The GoM is represented by the Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi II (MCA-Malawi II).
MCA-Malawi II is the accountable entity for implementing the projects and employer for the roadworks contracts, on behalf of the GoM.
The AGC Project has been subdivided into four packages, one in the north, two in the centre and one in the south, and includes:
- Upgrading to paved standard of 83km of road on the Mkanda–Linga Corridor, periodic maintenance and spot rehabilitation of 6km of roads south of Kasungu, and periodic maintenance and improvements of 102km of unpaved district and community-access roads.
- Upgrading to paved standard of 53km of roads on the Chileka–Likuni Corridor, along with maintenance and rehabilitation of 4km of roads to the Chinsapo 2 Market in Lilongwe, and periodic maintenance of 102km of unpaved community-access roads on the corridor.
- Upgrading to paved standard of 77km of roads on the Chantulo–Mkutumula Corridor, along with 7km to paved standard to the Chilipa and Malenga trading centres, periodic maintenance of 2km of paved roads from Mkutumula, and periodic maintenance and improvements to approximately 84 km of unpaved district and community-access roads.
- Upgrading to paved standard of 67km of the Euthini–Chikwawa Corridor, and 13km from the corridor to Mpherembe and Malidade trading centres, periodic maintenance and improvements of 70km of unpaved community-access roads, and periodic maintenance.
- Spot rehabilitation of the 57km paved road between Golomoti and the Monkey Bay turnoff in Mangochi District.
MCA-Malawi II has closed the RFI (request for information) for companies that are interested in bidding for these projects, but those that did not register their interest will still be eligible to bid once the tender is released. In the interests of ensuring a more equitable tender process, state-owned companies are not eligible to undertake the works.
Eligible companies can bid for one or more of the projects, alone or in consortia.
A webinar will be held on June 20 to update interested companies and institutions on the progress of the project and highlight the next steps.
Interested parties can register in advance for this meeting at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcrdOGupjkiGtNWdan7yUNyB8EYpwdNPdWJ
For further information kindly contact via email both the Procurement Agent at PAMalawi@charleskendall.com and MCA-Malawi II Procurement Director Andy Koloko at andy.koloko@mca-malawi2.gov.mw; and copy in McDonald Banda, Accelerated Growth Corridors Director, at mcdonald.banda@mca-malawi2.gov.mw.
