Minister of Transport and Public Works Ralph Jooma has said that his office will make local constructors a first choice during projects.

Jooma said time has come for the country to start prioritising local contractors who have the capacity to perform the task and are technologically knowledgeable. He said this during a visit of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Engineering Battalion, a local contractor, that is constructing the first 21 kilometres road at K9.6 billion.

MDF was given 18 months from April 13 to October 3 2019 to complete the project, which is currently at 38% and time lapse is at 83%. It is expected that by October this year, the contractor will have done 75% of the work. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Transport and Public also revealed that K2 billion has been set aside to repair roads that were damaged due to the 2018/2019 rainy season.