By Leah Malekano:
Plans by the government to construct four additional toll gates across the country have hit a financial snag, forcing the authorities to put the project on hold, The Daily Times has learnt.
In 2022, the government announced plans to set up toll gates in Central Region districts such as Mchinji, Kasungu and Salima as well as in the Northern Region.
According to the government, the goal was to widen the revenue base for road maintenance and infrastructure development.
However, in an interview with The Daily Times Wednesday, Roads Fund Administration (RFA) spokesperson Masauko Mngwaluko confirmed that the project has been put on hold due to funding challenges.
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He emphasised that construction would start once the financial situation improved, as toll gate expansion remained part of their strategic plan.
“We cannot set the timelines as all will depend on the cashflow situation,” Mngwaluko stated.
Commenting on the development, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira acknowledged that the delay would affect government revenue for road maintenance.
However, Kambwandira stressed that their main concern was not the construction of additional toll gates but, rather, the lack of transparency in the use of revenue collected from the existing ones.
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“There seems to be a lack of accountability on how these revenues are being utilised. While money is being collected at two toll gates, our roads remain in a very pathetic condition,” Kambwandira said.
In 2022, RFA announced plans to construct 15 additional toll gates by 2027 to expand the revenue base for road maintenance financing.
The plan was to construct three toll gates each financial year for five years — a plan that has now turned into a nightmare.
Similarly, in February this year, Transport and Public Works Minister Jacob Hara, told Malawians in ‘Boma Likutinji’ programme that about K600 million had been set aside for the acquisition of land for four additional toll gates.
Hara also indicated that the government was considering revising toll gate fees upwards, arguing that the current revenue from toll gates was insufficient to construct meaningful roads due to rising costs.
According to Mngwaluko, since the inception of the toll gates, RFA has collected the gross of K11 billion as of 31 May 31, 2025. RFA indicates that, as at May 31, 2025, over K6.8bn has been utilised for road maintenance of the M1 tolled road as well as for operations of tollgates.
