Driving in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba and all places across the country, there is one familiar feature on the country’s roads: potholes. And they are worsening while there also seems to be no immediate solution. So, how did we get here?

By Deogratias Mmana:

Malawi has a familiar but worsening crisis that is giving motorists a torrid time on its roads: potholes.

But regardless the seriousness of the problem, maintenance works are largely invisible.

And it looks like there is not going to be any solution anytime soon.

At the heart of the crisis are two combined factors: the absence of fuel levy, a problem resulting from government’s fear of political repercussions of a fuel price increase that would help the country generate the levy it needs to maintain roads.

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) is failing to give the Roads Fund Administration (RFA) the money collected through fuel levy.

Today, Mera owes RFA up to K161 billion in levies meant for road construction and rehabilitation.

In August last year, Mera and the Ministry of Transport reported in separate cases that the energy body was struggling to collect the road maintenance levy in fuel pump price build up.

It said this was because fuel importers were using the money as compensation due to the low price at which Malawi is selling fuel, instead of remitting it to Mera.

The fuel related laws oblige fuel importers to remit the levy to Mera.

In turn, Mera remits what it collects to RFA for road construction and maintenance through the Roads Authority (RA).

Now both RFA and RA are stuck because Mera itself is also handicaped because fuel importers have no money to give Mera.

We asked RA board chairperson Matilda Matabwa why her organisation is doing nothing about the roads and watching the situation deteriorate.

She said in the case of roads within cities, their maintenance falls under the city assemblies.

“However, Mera has not been remitting fuel levy to RFA for road maintenance. You may also wish to confirm with RFA the exact figures being owed,” she said.

RFA spokesperson Masauko Ngwaluko said yesterday that Mera owes the fund up to K161 billion in fuel levy.

RFA does collect fees from its two tollgates at Chingeni in Ntcheu and Kalinyeke in Dedza.

But that money cannot be used to rehabilitate other roads apart from the one where the tollgates stand, according to Ngwaluko.

“The main purpose of road tolling is to maintain and rehabilitate the tolled road. We are currently already using the toll fees to maintain the tolled road with maintenance works along M1 from Kamwamba to Zalewa Turn Off.

“However, it should be noted that the toll fees collected are far below the required amount to rehabilitate or maintain the tolled road,” Ngwaluko said.