‘Malawi to remove business bottlenecks’

In a bid to improve the business climate in Malawi, Vice-President Khumbo Kachali said on Monday government will remove all bottlenecks faced by investors.

Kachali said this in the northern Malawi city of Mzuzu when he officially opened the K300 million (about $1.2 million) Pan African Investments Limited’s (Pail) soap manufacturing factory at Luwinga Industrial Site. Pail is a subsidiary of Bakhresa Grain Milling (Malawi) Limited.

He said the business environment was unfavourable in the past, owing to poor political and economic governance and shortage of forex. He said the Joyce Banda administration is committed to creating a conducive environment.

“Since assuming office on April 7 2012, Her Excellency the State President has put in place a comprehensive economic recovery plan and the positive impact of these measures are being felt in the economy,” he said.

Kachali said the opening of the soap factory was a response to current political will and economic recovery measures.

Bakhresa Grain Milling Limited chief executive officer Mahesh Josyabhatla said bold steps taken by the current government have encouraged the private sector to perform.

He said his company was committed to investing more in Mzuzu if the business environment becomes more conducive.

The soap plant has the capacity to produce 50 metric tonnes of soap per day and has directly created employment for 35 people as well as indirectly for hundreds in the value chain, said Josyabhatla.