Tevet levy transforming lives
Malawi’s workforce can be empowered with relevant skills to enable workers to reach their potential.
Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (Teveta) public relations officer Lewis Msasa said this in an interview this week.
Msasa said the country has many skilled workers who have not undergone any formal training hence, need to be considered through courses organised by Teveta that are supported through a levy.
Msasa, therefore, said sustainable funding and financing of the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (Tevet) system is important if Malawi is to have skilled and competitive workforce in the Sadc region.
Msasa said for Malawi to become an exporting country, it must have a skilled and competitive workforce which could, among others, produce quality products that are competitive at the international market.
He says it is for this reason there is a sustainable funding for the implementation of the Tevet system to enable the country to have a skilled workforce.
Msasa said it is pleasing to note that more companies are becoming levy compliant due to what he said was increasing understanding on the use and value of levy and the legal requirements.
“Tevet levy has been rising over the years from K30 million (about $71 428) in 2000 to the forecast of K680 million (about $1.6m) in 2013/14. Our role as Tevet is to create a conducive environment for private sector led economic growth,” said Msasa.
According to the Tevet Act, the levy is charged and levied on both public and private sector employers at the beginning of every year. The levy payable is one percent of their total payroll cost in respect of the previous year.
He, therefore, called for closer collaboration between the private sector and Teveta if the country is to move from being a predominantly importing to a predominantly exporting country.
Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe agreed with Msasa, saying government has already set the tone on how the country could move from being a predominantly importing to a predominantly exporting.
“As a country, we want to transform the country from being predominantly importing to an exporting and this can only happen if the workforce is well trained. If a country has high skilled individuals it is very easy to develop it.
“If the Economic Recovery Plan is to work effectively companies must contribute the Tevet levy because it is used to train a lot of individuals who can develop the country,” said Gwengwe.
