By Ireen Mseteka and Kennedy Minjale
Deputy Minister of Health and Member of Parliament (MP) for Likoma Island, Charles Chilambula, has intervened to address widespread complaints about overcharging and unreliable water transport services affecting islanders.
Following a public meeting with residents and transport authorities on Saturday, Chilambula confirmed that official transport tariffs are being disregarded, with passengers and traders paying inflated prices for travel and cargo.
“We have seen that the official prices are reasonable, but what people have been paying on the ground is different,” Chilambula stated, vowing to continue engaging Malawi Lake Services to review charges on basic commodities. The meeting, which included officials from the Marine Department and Malawi Lake Services, was called by the MP after months of receiving complaints from his constituents.
He said he had already begun discussions with the Minister of Transport and other stakeholders to find a solution.Malawi Lake Services CEO, Joseph Banda, used the platform to urge passengers to report overcharging directly to his office, stating that no formal complaints had been received so far. He also promised to make the approved tariff list publicly available to ensure transparency.
“We are not present at every point where payments are made, so we depend on passengers to report anything that is contrary to the approved charges,” Banda said.
Addressing a separate issue of safety and legality, Captain Peter Kajadu of the Marine Department announced that his office would assist local boat operators in meeting licensing requirements. This move aims to increase the number of legally operating vessels on the lake while ensuring the safety of both passengers and property.
