US-Africa Summit: Chakwera courts investors to spur Malawi’s rail development
President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says a better rail network has potential to transform the transport sector through the reduction of costs of transporting goods and services.
President Chakwera said this during a discussion with executive management of All American Rail Group (AARG), a consortium involved in advancing rail, infrastructure and agriculture projects in the United States and Africa.
“A better rail network will help us reduce transport costs, lower commodity prices, and increase profits for our producers,” said President Chakwera on Monday on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit in Dallas, Texas.
“Today’s discussion marks the beginning of a long-term transformative partnership between the Malawi Government and AARG, which has the potential to revolutionize Malawi’s economy,” he added.
Chakwera said since he became President, revamping Malawi’s railway network has been a top priority for his administration and that it was pleasing that AARG executives had shown interest to invest in that sector.
“My administration is incentivizing commercial farmers to bring idle land back into production through the mega farm initiative. We need local and international markets for these crops and a functional railway system is necessary,” he said.
“Our Transport Master Plan has mapped out corridors to extend and rehabilitate the rail to facilitate the flow of agricultural products to urban, regional and export markets,” said the Malawi leader.
The AARG Consortium was established in November 2022 and comprises globally recognised firms specialising in railway design, engineering, construction and management.
With a substantial turnover exceeding $19.7 billion over the past five years and a proven track record of managing significant projects across continents, AARG brings invaluable expertise to Malawi’s rail development ambitions.
