Abu Dhabi Fund to finance Malawi road projects
Malawi President Joyce Banda on Monday met officials of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development on the fringes of the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Development Agenda in United Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development provides concessional loans to developing countries including Malawi.
In Malawi, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will finance the Jenda-Edingeni and the Lirangwe-Chingale-Machinga Road Projects.
The Jenda-Edingeni Road Project is the first project that is being financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to the tune of US$10 million.
Since the distance between Jenda and Edingeni is about 50 kilometres and that amount approved by the Abu Dhabi Fund may not be adequate to construct a bitumen road, the plan by the Government of Malawi is to build the road in a phased manner.
The first phase will involve construction of 17 kilometres. This phase will utilise the US$10 million from the Abu Dhabi Fund and US$ 6 million from the Government of Malawi as local contribution.
In March 2013, the Government of Malawi requested the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development for support towards financing of the Lirangwe-Chingale-Machinga Road Project.
The Lirangwe-Chingale-Machinga road is one of the most important roads connecting M1 road from Blantyre to Lilongwe with the M2 road, which passes through Zomba to Lilongwe.
The proposal by the Government of Malawi is to upgrade the existing earth about 60 kilometres from the current earth road into an all-weather bitumen road which would facilitate smooth movement of goods and people.
