Expression of Interest for the Maintenance and Upgade of Local Area Network In selected Border Control Posts in Malawi. Background The Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP), funded by the World Bank with a $150 million budget over six years (July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2027), aims to bolster private sector engagement along designated corridors in Malawi and Mozambique. Its overarching goal is to support these countries in enhancing regional trade coordination, minimizing trade costs and time, fostering the development of regional value chains, and enhancing access to infrastructure. SATCP, along with initiatives like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), facilitates significant economic benefits by promoting increased regional trade, income growth, job creation, and resilience to economic shocks through coordinated and controlled movements across borders. In this context, promoting regular cross-border movement to enhance trade is essential for advancing Malawi's development priorities and supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as mandated by the African Union (AU) Member States, especially across identified trade routes/ corridors with significant economic roles. However, frequent delays in passenger and freight movement result in significant financial losses for the region annually. Inadequate and disjointed border management remains a primary obstacle to trade facilitation, leading to increased delays and prolonged immigration and customs processing times. Moreover, insufficient information and data-sharing systems among neighbouring countries, coupled with a lack of harmonized immigration ICT systems and challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, further hinder the smooth movement of people and goods across borders. In the framework of the project “Supporting the Government of Malawi in Strengthening Migration Management through Expansion of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS)”, funded by the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will provide the border information system (MIDAS1), complementing backup power systems and data communication systems, along with substantial multi-stepped trainings and technical support.

In the framework of the project “Supporting the Government of Malawi in Strengthening Migration Management through Expansion of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS)”, funded by the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will provide the border information system (MIDAS1), complementing ICT technical trainings to facilitate system deployment and support