300 delegates register for investment forum—Mitc

Malawi Investment Trade Centre (Mitc) says about 300 delegates have confirmed their participation at the 2018 Malawi Investment Forum (MIF) slated for June 11 and 12 in Lilongwe.

Mitc spokesperson Deliby Chimbalu said in an interview the response is overwhelming and there are expectations that more delegates will register.

“Registration is already underway and as we are speaking, we have received confirmations from more than 300 delegates. These confirmations are for both local and foreign delegates.

“We have confirmed delegates from Netherlands, India, Ireland, Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa, China, Zambia Zimbabwe,” she said.

Chimbalu said Mitc is working with foreign missions to recruit more foreign delegates to reach the targeted 800.

“Besides these, we have also received confirmations from financing institutions who will be part of the financiers’ session for the forum,” she said.

The institutions include Africa Agriculture Investment and Trade Fund (Aaitf), Trade and Development Bank (TDB) formerly PTA Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, Standard Bank Group, National Bank of Malawi plc, CDH Investment Bank.

In an earlier interview, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Henry Mussa said expectations are high for the forthcoming MIF.

He said this year’s forum seeks to attract both domestic and foreign direct investment into selected strategic public and private sectors.

“These forums have been a success and we have made notable gains,” said Mussa.

A statement from Mitc indicates that the forum will focus on five key sectors of agriculture and agro-processing, energy, manufacturing, tourism, transport and infrastructure.

It will also feature a trade exhibition and a financiers’ session.

Reads the statement in part: “This exhibition is aimed at showcasing the products and services that are produced in Malawi. The idea is to help our local producers to find international markets for their products through the interactions that they will be having with the delegates to the forum.

“We have a target of 80 exhibitors—70 local and 10 foreign. So far, we have registered about four international exhibitors and over 40 local exhibitors.”

Apart from the confirmations for delegates and exhibitors, at least 24 ready strategic public projects under Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement have been packaged and shared to all those that have registered.

“We have also additional 18 private sector projects to be discussed during the forum. We want the discussions of the forum to focus on projects other than policy issues,” reads the statement.

This is the third MIF and the first one was held in 2015.