Malawi Freedom Network zeal in the directive by President Chakwera on the Buy Malawi Strategy and is titled “President Chakwera’s directive, a welcome move”
Malawi Freedom Network ask Malawi President Chakwera to extend buy Malawi campaign to support our local pharmaceutical companies in bed sick, Local pharmaceuticals companies have been sidelined in this campaign of buy Malawi and companies are on verge of collapse risk massive retrenchment of thousands of malawians to jobless,
President Lazarus Chakwera needs to ban some medical drugs to be imported from outside Malawi and impower local pharmaceutical to manufacture the drugs locally, this strategy will improve our economy, job security and maintain forex,
On Friday, 17th February, 2023, President Lazarus Chakwera delivered his State Of the Nation Address popularly known as SONA at Parliament Buildings in the Capital Lilongwe which marked the opening of the 1st meeting of the 50th Session of Parliament and 2023/24 National Budget for Malawi.
In his SONA titled “Delivering Economic Transformation and Governance Reform through Sacrificial Action and Service Excellence”, President Chakwera touched on a number of issues, but we in today’s comment focuses very much on Trade and Industry where the President made a serious directive which has been quoted; “Another Ministry that we will leverage to transform our economy into a productive one is Trade and Industry. It is not acceptable that Malawi exports huge volumes of crops such as legumes to our neighbouring countries and beyond with little to no forex coming back into our country. To reverse this trend, I have appointed a new Minister of Trade and Industry to work jointly with other agencies in deploying a rapid strategy that tracks the exportation of produce, while my administration continues to make progress in establishing a digital platform for marketing and tracking all commodities traded in our country.
In March last year, I spoke about the need to support the local industry by encouraging the local buying of materials for Government officers such as Police uniforms. Yet just last week, uniforms for Police officers were captured at the airport which means some in our midst do not take this policy seriously. But the policy remains in force. Unless you have a special waiver from my office, the procurement of uniforms by Government from outside the country is banned forthwith. I also order the Ministry of Trade and Industry to release a full list of products subject to a similar ban” end of quote.
The directive by President Chakwera is not only an indication that our country needs to have its own factories, companies, and industries just as it was during Kamuzu era, but it is also a clear indication that we can grow our own employment base and boost the struggling economy through proper exportation of both finished and unfinished products bearing a Malawian logo, thereby putting the country on the world map on the other hand.
This is why we here, regard the directive by the President as a serious drive towards reviving and revamping the dynamic glory the country once had on local production during the late Ngwazi, when things like matches, salt, soap, shoes, clothes, cloths, maize flour, exercise books, rulers, textiles,and some motor vehicles, just to mention a few were produced right here in Malawi. The ball has now fully been thrown in the hands of the line Minister and his Ministry to prove their salt by convincing and attracting investors both international and local for the journey to start.
Local drug manufactures blamed the situation on inconsistent government policies, which Central medical Stores Trust(CMST) deter potential investors and kills local drug manufacturing locally..
They said the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) cannot give incentive to importers and disincentive local manufactures that are creating jobs, saving foreign exchange (forex), attracting investors among other economy building ventures, let the country walk the talk and start with low hanging fruits. There are huge potentials untapped in the local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector
SURPRISINGLY WHAT HAPPENS
They cited a publication by the Central Medical Stores Trust(CMST) which seen advertising tenders inviting international bidders to compete with local manufactures on the prohibited list package of drugs that is to be locally manufactured in the country according the LPO, CMST/G/MMS/022/000602. This publication have seen which will make nonsense of manufacturing locally, Local drug manufactures blamed the situation on inconsistent government policies, which Central medical Stores Trust (CMST) deter potential investors and kills local drug manufacturing locally..
UNEMPLOYMENT AND FOREX SCARCITY CREATED AS 6 PHARMACEUTICALS COMPANIES RISK CLOSURE
They said the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) cannot give incentive to importers and disincentive local manufactures that are creating jobs, saving foreign exchange (forex), attracting investors among other economy building ventures, let the country walk the talk and start with low hanging fruits. There are huge potentials untapped in the local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector
Here at our studios do believe that we will do no harm to anyone, or do injustice to any politician if we heap the blame on those who took our country into the democratic era of Multiparty democracy for being greed, corrupt, selfish, irresponsible, or act with no vision by destroying the foundation that Kamuzu Banda laid in Local industrialization just because they wanted to selfishly own the companies privately, or promote their international businesses, or even benefit their friends and relations at the expense of the nation and many of its citizens. We seriously see this as worth noting for those born towards the end of the Kamuzu regime, or were born after the era of the late Ngwazi.
We at our studios will not regret to say, we started our democratic era with leaders of no vision, but greedy and selfish.
As a nation, we MUST welcome the directive by President Lazarus Chakwera as a drive to the new land of the old face laid by Kamuzu.
Felix is the Head of Channels at MyBucks since April, 2020. He is responsible for the digital channels and agency Read more
Chitera appointed Acting MD for FDH BankChitera appointed Acting MD for FDH BankAfrica-Press – Malawi. The Board of Directors of Read more
Minister of Trade and Industry Mark Katsonga Phiri says the launch of the Pyxus Agriculture Limited Groundnut Processing Plant will Read more
Airtel Africa has sold its 723 towers in Malawi to Helios Towers, an independent telecommunications infrastructure company, for US$55 million Read more
Reserve Bank of Malawi has ordered Auction Holdings Limited to begin a mandatory sale of 30 percent of it's foreign Read more
The sale of Airtel Malawi’s telecommunications tower to London-based Helios Towers plc will help Airtel to improve and strengthen its Read more
A Mchinji based organization, Girls Activist Youth Organization (GAYO) has trained village savings loan groups locally known as Banki Mkhonde Read more
Malawi’s forex shortage is threatening operations in the airline business, creating uncertainty on the future of the industry, Business News Read more
Local tobacco producers are expressing fear that this year’s tobacco market will be affected by the recent fuel price hike. Read more
National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc has registered a 52 percent after-tax profit of K34.21 billion for the year ending Read more
