Malawi postcode, physical address project in second phase – Macra

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has said it will roll out the second phase for the national address and post code project starting with commercial city of Blantyre.

Macra director general Godfrey Itaye is on record saying that nce fully operational, the project will enhance service delivery in the posts and courier industry following the introduction of a comprehensive system of property location, numbering and mapping and associated processes.

Meanwhile. MACRA Communications Officer, Clara Mwafulirwa has disclosed that the regyulator is finalizing all the areas targeted in the first phase which are Namiwawa, Chinyonga, Makata industrial site, NdirandeSafalao, and Somola Village in Lirangwe.

Basically, she said Macra has so far been  “numbering the houses and will soon start naming the streets and roads within the pilot jurisdiction.”

Mwafulirwa said plans are at advanced stage to expand the pilot boundaries in Ndirande and other areas by January, 20l8.

Thei courier services  are threatened by lack of comprehensive street naming and house numbering system which leaves dispatch workforce  guessing and hunting the exact destinations of the goods they carry.

Malawi is the only country in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) which is behind in street naming and property numbering—meaning postal businesses and emergency service providers are hard pressed to operate efficiently.

This leads to lack of precision when it comes to tracing recipients of the consignments that pour in from all corners of the country and beyond. Usually, this also leaves DHL and its competitors concentrating on doorstep deliveries to locations whose streets are properly named and houses numbered.

Affected in 1998, the Communications Act empowers Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (Macra) to license, monitor and promote the development of postal services throughout the country.