Malawi President commissions locomotives from Taiwan

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika on Tuesday commissioned four locomotives that the Republic of China on Taiwan donated to Malawi in 2005.

Mutharika said the locomotives would help Malawi to alleviate its transportation problems.

Taiwan donated the locomotives to assist Malawi in its transportation of cargo to various places within and outside the country.

Central East African Railway Company spokesperson Daniel Undani said the locomotives would help the company reduce the cost of transportation in the country.

"The company was facing a lot of problems in transporting goods, especially during the crop season. Transporting goods like tobacco was a big problem but these locomotives will reduce such problems," he said.

Undani also said the four locomotives add to the eight existing ones which the company has.

The vehicles, which arrived in the country last July, needed to be modified by a South African firm first before their use in the country.