Pres Mutharika salutes Mpico’s K20bn shopping mall
Malawi President Peter Mutharika today expressed delight at the newly-constructed $40 million (about K20 billion) Mpico Gateway Shopping Mall.
The president said the investment will create over 600 direct jobs, add beauty to the city of Lilongwe and minimise congestion [in other shopping malls], among other benefits.
Mutharika said this when he officially opened the mall, located along the Lilongwe-Mchinji Road in low density suburb of Area 47 near Africa Bible College (ABC).
The President, who described the infrastructure as a “very modern and immaculate complex”, said it has been built in line with international standards.
He said the displays inside boast of high quality goods, food stuffs and beautiful service centres.
“This is an indication of serious investment and commitment that the management of the company has for the betterment of this nation,” said Mutharika.
He said his government will do everything possible to support investment of Mpico Gateway Mall nature as a way of improving economic and social development of the country.
Mutharika said the facility has increased space for letting, adding that once it is fully engaged, there will be need for companies to offer various services ranging from security, landscaping, cleaning and maintenance.
The President, however, decried the tendency by most supermarkets to prefer stocking foreign produced goods only, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
“I would like to urge supermarkets in this Mall to spare some shelf space for locally-produced goods, including vegetables and potatoes from small and medium enterprises in Lilongwe as well as Dedza, Ntcheu, Ntchisi, Dowa just to mention a few,” he urged.
Jimmy Lipunga, chairperson of Old Mutual Limited, a majority shareholder in the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE)-listed Mpico Limited, said the Gateway Mall now becomes the company’s latest addition to what is already a remarkable collection of real estate.
He said Malawi requires substantial investment in manufacturing, tourism and infrastructure.
Mpico Limited chairperson Dye Mawindo said the new facility is on a 17 500 square metres land with Shoprite as the anchor tenant.
He also said currently, the mall has the capacity to accommodate 56 tenants out of which 44 tenants have already occupied the space.
