By Damiano Thengo

Nkhotakota, August 20, Mana: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) says it is ready to begin implementing the National Addressing System (NAS) project in Nkhotakota district.

Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Nkhotakota on Monday, MACRA’s NAS Manager Limbani Sekani, revealed that the project is expected to have many benefits as it will help to increase revenue through ease of tax collection, increase accuracy in the collection of census information and promote tourism among others.

Sekani said the project, in line with section 124 of the Communications Act of 2016, will involve identifying and naming streets and roads, numbering houses according to the new system, marking and naming appropriate big houses among others for the project to be implemented smoothly and effectively.

Nkhotakota South Constituency Lawmaker, Brainex Kaisi commended the initiative saying it will solve the challenges local scholars were facing when extending international applications since they were failing to conform to international standards following lack of zip or postcodes before agreeing with Sekani that the project will help to boost and promote tourism activities in the district.

"When Malawians apply for international opportunities, there is a section which requires one’s zip or postcode, for Malawians especially from Nkhotakota, people have failed to complete such applications meaning the coming of this project will conform Malawi to international standards of location identification, assisting us to stand at par on opportunities with other countries but also assist to boost trade and tourism since addressing systems make identifications of tourist sites easier," said Kaisi.

District Deputy Council chairperson, Fiton Khofi, hailed MACRA for the initiative but asked the regulator to continue spreading the information concerning the project to the whole district for maximum sensitization and awareness.