Malawi reforms: Road Traffic opens pp to more number plate operators

For the time ever, the Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) in Malawi will soon issue licences to three more importers of blank registration vehicle number plates in a bid to create competition and reduce prices.

The development is part of the fruits of the ongoing Public Service Reforms headed by Vice President Saulos Chilima, an initiative that has seen and continues to push for major changes in the public sector to improve service delivery.

The new arrangement means an end of a long time grip by Movesa since 2011, a monopoly that led to high price as well as shortage of the plates on the market on several occasions.

DRTSS spokesperson Chisomo Chibwana says the department has since issued a notice inviting interested importers to bid for the licenses.

“DRTSS expects that creating a platform of competition will in turn reduce the price of number plates and that’s why we are opening up to more importers,” said Chibwana.

The change is coming at a time when a number of reforms have been effected at DRTSS although at first faced public resistance but after improvement all is perfect and people transact business within minutes.

Late last year, DRTSS led by the Public Service Reforms Commission devised a three month strategy to rectify  the problems that were being faced during the first days of effecting the reforms at the department.

The reforms also faced internal resistance at that time as the new automated system had put a tight rid on all avenues that some employees used to milk the department.

But after the reforms the department is now self-sustaining as well as remitting dividends to Capital Hill for the time ever.