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Shortage of MTL scratch cards hits market

Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) has said the forex crisis is partly to blame for the shortage of the company’s recharge vouchers on the local market.

MTL vouchers have of late become scarce on the market forcing customers to move from one shop to another looking for the scratch cards.

In an interview on Wednesday, MTL chief commercial officer Elias Imaan said the shortage of forex in the country delayed the procurement of the cards.

“Largely, it was forex that delayed the establishment of the letter of credit to the suppliers. That aside, the cargo aircraft [Emirates Airline] that carried the consignment from the United Kingdom was grounded in Dubai because of a technical fault,” said Imaan.

MTL scratch cards are supplied by a UK-based company, Nitecrest.

Imaan said the company has diversified the suppliers so that the problem does not resurface in future.

“We have identified another supplier in South Africa called Mithratech so that we can also use the rand to procure the scratch cards and not only the US dollars,” he said.

The shortage of forex has also affected importation of fuel and some companies such Shayona Cement Corporation and Bakhresa Grain and Milling to downsize, resulting in mass retrenchments of workers.

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