By Tione Andsen

Mchinji, June 26, Mana:  Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has said time management in handled both passengers and cargo has improved tremendously after the establishment of One Stop Border in Mchinji.

MRA Deputy Station Manager for Mchinji One Stop Border Post (OSBP), Felix Mzilahowa disclosed thus Wednesday in Mchinji when Media houses visited the Border Post as part of Media Orientation of Sothern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) with funding from World Bank to stimulate trade with Nacala Corridor. 

He said the previous facility was two small to handled large volumes of passengers and cargo but with the establishment of the new one has improved on time management.

Mzilahowa said in the past a passenger was taking two hours to be cleared it takes not more than an hour while cargo clearance was taking two days but now it takes two hours.  

“The Border operations are going on well just because we have new facility and the processes have been simplified since the introduction OSBP. Before this new structure was built we had many hustles. We did not have enough space or car parking area and even offices we were using were too small to accommodate passengers on daily basis,” he pointed out.  

Mzilahowa added that the border has seen the increase in the importation of tiles than any other border in the country due to efficiency in time management.

He said before OSBP the revenue generation was ranging from K1.1 billion in a month but now we are collecting about K 3 billon a month.

The Deputy Station Manager said smuggling of goods from Zambia into Malawi has been reduced because the facility has the provision of Police Post and are assisting in patrolling the uncharted routes

He said the presence of the Post has had an impact which has helped to increase revenue per month.

Mzilahowa noted that the installation of smart gates at the facility has helped to provide information and data on goods and vehicles passing through the border and most of it is provided to National Statistical Office (NSO).

He said the gates are helping to intercept smuggled vehicles from Zambia and South Africa.

A Business Lady from Lilongwe, Maria Joseph said the new facility has accelerated speed in clearing of their goods.

“We used to spend days for MRA to clear our goods but this a thing of the past. Previous most small scale business people were using uncharted routes to avoid delays at the border,” she recalled.

Mchinji OSPB was commissioned on December 7, 2022.