National Assembly on monday authorizes government to borrow K14 billion funds from European Investment Bank for the purpose of upgrading Chileka and Kamuzu International Airports to meet international standards on safety and security.
The House passed the bill after contributing and adopting the report on the bill from the Parliamentary Committee of Transport and Public Infrastructure.
The money from the European Investment Bank Loan Authorization Bill is to be used for the Project of upgrade of Aviation Safety and Security Equipment at Kamuzu and Chileka International Airports.
The bill passed with several amendments to the memorandum of the bill as proposed by the Parliamentary Committee of Transport and Public Infrastructure after scrutiny of the bill.
The amendments includes change of the title of the bill to read phase 1, change of Closed Circuit Television CCTV Link Tower to read Automated and Integrated Closed Circuit Television, wording of Wind Measuring Unit to Weather Measuring Unit and Radio to Radiosond.
Minister of Transport Francis Kasaila said the passing of the bill was timely because any delay will prevent flights into or out of Malawi because of airports safety and security conditions.
He promised that Government is now going to work flat-out making sure that within shortest time possible it procures equipments to improve on the concerns by International Civil Aviations Authority.
Throughout the deliberations, legislatures from Northern region emphasized the need to as well rehabilitate, Mzuzu airport which is hub for the north.
However, responding on calls for the need to rehabilitate Mzuzu Airport the Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe said Government is waiting people from Mzuzu city to make a unison decision of the land where the airport could be relocated.
Gondwe said the main impediment for Government to commence consteuction of new airport in Mzuzu is because there are deffering views on where the airport be relocated to "Some wants the airport be relocated to Chiweta, someone says another place.
But it is up to us the people from the northern region to make a decision and then we can inform the ministry.” He said
“Any thinking person will not oppose that, and as a citizen of Mzuzu I would like to see a very good international airport in Mzuzu and we will put in plans, as government we are very actively seeking funds to construct that airport. We have started with rehabilitation of Chileka and Kamuzu the next one is Mzuzu airport." He said but as to when that money is to be available, Gondwe said it is not known now because Government has to solicit funds.
Minister of Transport Francis Kasaila in an interview concurred with the Finance minister on this call saying Government would like to let people of Mzuzu to tell their choice of land for the Airport.
"The minister of finance made it clear, it is upon the people on the ground to decide the piece of the land that they can offer for the construction of the airport.
Few years ago Government spend to a tune of K250 million, to pay for the land and paid for compensation so that we relocate the airport to a safer place because where it is now is not a good place, you can easily have an accident.
But after paying for that land and after having compensate people, the people there encroached on the same land. All that land that we got was encroached. Now government had nothing else to do apart from going back to square one and that is where we are saying we have to find land suitable for another airport." He said
"After the people there decide where the free land for the airport is, we are going to send our technical people to do the necessary feasibility studies and after that appropriate designs would have to come in and then we will know what cost implications are going to come because of that airport and then we can look for the resources from donors or from other well-wishers who can support in that endeavor." Said Kasaila
He added that after the decision, Government will send technicians to do feasibility studies and calculate costs for construction of the airport and later look for the resources.
However, the Government decision to wait for the people of Mzuzu to make their own decision, saw a reaction from member of Rumphi Central, Kamulepo Kalua who protested against such decision by asking Government to make a conclusive decision forcing people to vacate with immediate effect from the already identified land.
But the Transport Minister said "It is not up to me (Government) to go and impose on the people", "The ball is in their court." He added
The passed bill according to Kasaila will also boost aviation sector now that the Japanese are coming next year to provide an extension of the terminal building at Kamuzu International Airport. Through the Japanese project, there will be two separate buildings to allow domestic flights and international flights passengers use their own terminals.
