Dzombe fertiliser firm to get licence next week
Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (Mepa) says it will issue an environmental licence for Mulalo Fertiliser Factory next week project following the resolution of key environmental and safety concerns. Ministry of Natural Resources Principal Secretary Misheck Munthali yesterday told the Parliamentary Joint Committee investigating administrative delays and bureaucratic processes that stalled approval of Mtalimanja Holdings’ fertiliser … The post Dzombe fertiliser firm to get licence next week appeared first on Nation Online.
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Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (Mepa) says it will issue an environmental licence for Mulalo Fertiliser Factory next week project following the resolution of key environmental and safety concerns.
Ministry of Natural Resources Principal Secretary Misheck Munthali yesterday told the Parliamentary Joint Committee investigating administrative delays and bureaucratic processes that stalled approval of Mtalimanja Holdings’ fertiliser plant in Dowa District that Mepa board approved the project at its meeting on Tuesday.
He said the investor would receive the environmental licence next Wednesday after addressing issues highlighted during the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process.
Munthali said Mepa would continue monitoring a few outstanding issues to ensure the project remains compliant with regulatory requirements.
He said: “The board has approved the project, meaning the investor can proceed with the investment.
“There are one or two issues that remain outstanding, but they do not pose significant environmental risks… the project has met the required standards and we have given it the green light to proceed.”
Mepa director general Wilfred Kadewa told the joint committee, comprising Natural Resources, Energy and Climate Change; Industry, Trade and Tourism; and Agriculture and Irrigation committees that the authority initially raised concerns after the project began construction before obtaining the required licences and land ownership issues remained unresolved.
He said Mepa identified six technical, environmental, public health and regulatory issues that had to be addressed before approval could be granted, including hazardous waste management, emergency preparedness and the project’s proximity to Kang’ona River.
Earlier, Mtalimanja Holdings Limited director Napoleon Dzombe told the committee that prolonged delays in certification and licensing process had stalled the project and frustrated efforts to establish the factory.
The investor said previous experiences had made him reluctant to pay additional regulatory fees, noting that he had previously invested K500 million in a modern depot project that never materialised and feared further payments would produce a similar outcome.
He said although he did not expect to pay additional fees as an investor, he eventually paid K10 million to Mepa, adding that any further payments could have forced him to abandon the project.
The Mulalo fertiliser plant is expected to produce between 30 and 40 metric tonnes (MT) of compound fertiliser per hour. Malawi requires about 470 000MT of fertiliser annually.
The post Dzombe fertiliser firm to get licence next week appeared first on Nation Online.
