Media has been challenged to provide extensive coverage of the
implementation of Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP)
in order to attract direct foreign investment.
Deputy Director for Policy and Planning in the Ministry of Transport and
Public Works, Charles Mtonga made the challenge Monday during the
opening of a two-day Media Orientation and Tour for SACTP at Vintage
Hotel in Mponela, Dowa.
He said the project views media as a strategic partner to foster its
implementation highlighting opportunities available within the project
which could attract meaningful investments.
Mtonga believes that the media should provide adequate information which
would be used extensively and attract private sector participation.
“The success of the media participation in the implementation process
will largely depend on news articles that will be provided by various
media houses being oriented on the project,” he said.
The Deputy Director said the orientation accords the media an occasion
to fully engage with various implementing agencies operating in the
project.
“We would like to encourage the media to use the orientation to interact
freely with the agencies and explore their roles in the project,” Mtonga
added.
He said the media would be given an opportunity to view and appreciate
activities under the project like the Inland Examination Centre in
Blantyre, Liwonde–Matawale Road Rehabilitation, weighbridges at Liwonde,
ASYCUDA and Drones at Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and relocation and
upgrading of Muloza Border Post.
Programme Manager for SATCP, Hastings Ngoma said the project would
accord the media an opportunity to appreciate the implementation of
National Single window in which Ministry of Trade was implementing
within the project.
The workshop has brought together representatives from the 12
electronic, print and online media houses, a media production firm,
Ministry of Transport officials and SATCP Project specialists for an
opportunity to interact. The members of the media are being briefed on
the project and its objectives. The orientation will be followed by a
tour of some of the key project sites to let the media appreciate the
progress of the project and how it would impact lives of Malawians.
