Malawi MPs lament ‘economic terrorism’: Bank interest rates are extortionate

Members of Parliament have lamented over sky-high interest rates, rolling over personal loans, saying many Malawians are facing hardships as commercial banks have been accused of ripping off customers .

Bisnowaty: Subjeted to slurs by MCP
Bisnowaty: Subjeted to slurs by MCP
Menyani: MCP for electoral law reforms
Menyani: We have been reduced to economic slaves for the bank master
Gondwe: We are at the bottom end of the cave
Gondwe: We are at the bottom end of the cave

Lilongwe City Centre MP, David Bisnowaty  of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who is also a businessperson,  accused the banks of profiteering.

Bisnowaty  in his contribution, quoted Sir, Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States giving an advance warning some 200 years ago, saying I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issues of their currency first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporation that will grow above around these banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up one day homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

The legislator said  it is “most amazing how accurate Thomas Jefferson was 200 years ago because this is exactly what is happening in Malawi today.”

Bisonwaty  pointed out  that many Malawians are facing serious economic hardships; companies are closing businesses while banks are boasting on posting billions of kwachas in huge profits.

“These economic obscenities are among all of us. We have now just been reduced to economic slaves for the bank masters,” said highly charged Bisnowaty.

The lawmaker said  Malawians and many organisations are paying about 40 per cent or more in interest rate to the banks while the same banks, pay them only 10 per cent or less on their saving and fixed deposits.

“Such a practice and wide gap between the two interest rates are blankly illegal in many civilized communities.  Investors are kept away and our businesses continue to fail because of such sky high bank interest rates. The banks are blinded by the financial greed of such absurd injustices.

“We all know, Mr Speaker, Sir, for companies to grow, they need to borrow money.  We all know that for the families to improve their life, they need to borrow money. Well, this is not the case in Malawi,” said Bisnowaty.

According to Bisnowaty, what is happening in Malawi by commercial banls imposing prohibitive rates on loans  Malawi is “economic terrorism.”

He said: “ It does not make sense in fact, it is an economic absurdity in Malawi it must therefore be a clear indication that the banks are busy making billions of kwacha in profits while Malawians are getting poorer by the day.”

The MP called for  “ serious and drastic action” to be taken to correct the “injustice” which he said  is dragging Malawi into economic crises and not allowing the nation to develop.

Bisnowaty made the remarks when seconded a private members motion by Dedza North West MP, Alekenu Menynai of Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

Menyani said most Malawians have given hope and have counted themselves out of enjoying the fruits of what would come out of commercial bank loans.

“We, therefore, as a National Assembly should try and endeavour to uplift low earners by making necessary amendments to allow for Malawians to be able to access loans,” said Menyani.

In his remarks. Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe said government is also concerned about the interest rate levels in the country as anybody else.

“We have done a lot to see to it that rates should be reduced and we are still doing that.  As matter of fact, we are hoping very much that in the course of this or next month, something drastic should take place,” Gondwe said.

Reacting to what Bisnowaty said by  quoting Thomas Jefferson, Gondwe said  the lawmaker did not quote Hamilton who at that time was the Secretary to the Treasury and in fact he had quite an opposite view that  in fact prevailed over that of Jefferson.

“The reason is that there is a lot of background that we should cover in order to reach decision on interest rate. Economics is a very delicate subject in this case. If you do one thing against the market, something else will crop up that will also hurt you.

“We had a problem in 2009 of lack of foreign exchange. The reason probably some people would say it is because we artificially reduced interest rate at the time, people will say so and this is the possibility that could happen now,” said Gondwe.

Gondwe called for caution on legislating on an economic matter.

“You could legislate on one thing; something else is going to crop up later which will be even perhaps worse. I would suggest that we should approach this subject with sober minds. There is no emotion that will help us in this matter.  I think that if you left it to us and the Reserve Bank, we should be able to resolve the matter amicably and see to it that we come up with a balanced approach,” he said.

“We will have to find it because everybody in the country now knows that we are at the bottom end of the curve and we will really have to get out of it in terms of economic growth which is now at about 2.9 per cent. We are aiming at a very rate if we are going to do something about poverty issues in the country, everybody knows that.

“And we as a government are particularly concerned that we should move out of this situation as quickly as possible but in a balanced way because if we just say 100 per cent interest rates now will be reduced so much, we may create another problem as we did before,” Gondwe said.

The Finance Minister explained that interest rates work hand in hand with inflation.

“The fact that in this country we agreed with the IMF that the exchange rate should float freely meant that at the same time, we agreed that inflation will grow up freely.  Since May 2012, this has been the case and we allowed that to happen and the result is that the interest rates are very, very high and we will have to deal with the situation in a more balanced way.  It will not happen by legislation,” he said.

He asked that government should work with the Reserve Bank to come up with a balance approach to interest rates, exchange rate as well as inflation.

Meanwhile, the central bank has announced  the reduction of the policy rate or the bank rate from 27 percent to 24 percent.

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Ubunthu wamntundu
Ubunthu wamntundu
7 years ago

This guy is a Jew. And as far as I know in that religion interest is prohibited. In fact in all religions. Nde akuthandauza chani? Why doesn’t he get his fellow Jews to come and set up interest free banks. Zachamba et… Whether 40 percent 10 percent or 100 this system of the bank is what has sucked up most of the blood and sweat of nations and has resulted in the incapable state of the average Malawian man to obtain any lad due to lack of collateral – to be in such a state. This guy is speaking on… Read more »

Pop Francis
Pop Francis
7 years ago

Israel or Malawi economy

Mbutuma
7 years ago

…..is it that the captain of a ship be the MBALE of one with knowledge and art of navigation or the possesor of the knowledge and art it self………? ……..the one who enjoys the shadows remain there and elect master of shadows to lead them, but the master takes them to nowhere apart from dip corner of the cave….but the realization that you are in a cave means you have seen the light and that is the first step out of the cave, but if the king is benefiting from the caves darknes do u think will allow anyone to… Read more »

Abeat Minthu
7 years ago

That is why NO foreign company want to come and invest in Malawi. Interest is high too abnormal high. Then they take charges on savings. What a heil is this? How can small savers save money in the bank? This is why people found there own way of borrowing “Bank Nkonde” this is illegal in civilised world. But small businesses especially women is better with 20% Interest than 40%. I went to Zambia there were many foreign banks. TZ is the same. If Malawi could get foreign banks people will never bank in traditional Malawi banks. They will go bank… Read more »

The Ambassador
The Ambassador
7 years ago

Yes honorable mp,
Remember this interest and that inflation are the works of you Jewish people.
It’s your own make this syndrome in order to reduce the number of the would be rich or well to do people of another nation. Yet,you today seem as if you are concerned with our plight.

Dengulanga
7 years ago

What type of Economics do you expect from a DPP government whose anchor foundation is woven in ABSOLUTE KLEPTOCRACY. A government with corrupt rulers (kleptocrats) inclusive of Bisnowatty, CHAPONDA,MUSSA,NAKHUMWA,GONDWE,APM, MULLI, that use their power to exploit the people and natural resources of their own territory in order to extend their personal wealth and political power.

Kent Y.G. Mphepo, Blantyre
Kent Y.G. Mphepo, Blantyre
7 years ago

Countrymen, I always get angry when some people speak as if they have the monopoly of wisdom or knowledge in this country. Malawians, let’s accept that our economics are upside down and all these debates we are having today are a result of the bad economic trajectory we have chosen to walk on for the past two decades. Being someone who was born and raised on farmland in the 60s, 70s and 80s I always wonder why some people think that answers to our economic quagmire will come from textbooks and the jargon that goes with them. To me the… Read more »

Qwerty
Qwerty
7 years ago

Insightful analysis Kent. Sound policy (economic, agricultural, etc.) has indeed been wantonly sacrificed at the alter of political short-termisim for the convenience of the elite. The transition to democratic pluralism was badly managed and we have descended down the path to rot ever since with successive governments since 1994. In the name of inclusive economic growth, we swallowed hook and sinker the deregulation, privatization and marketization gospel preached by the Bretton Woods institutions without adequate consideration of our local settings. As you posit, we need a different kind of structural adjustment to rebalance the levers of our politics and economics.… Read more »

Kent Y.G. Mphepo, Blantyre
Kent Y.G. Mphepo, Blantyre
7 years ago
Reply to  Qwerty

Qwerty, I hope that’s your real name (and I have chosen not to hide my ID. I don’t see the reason for doing so in my own country – who should I fear? Man??), I like your statement though “The current political and economic establishment would certainly fight back as such revolution would disrupt the incentive structure.” I totally agree with you. Getting out of the mess the country is in will take nothing less than a revolution and bloodshed if that’s what you want to hear from me. Malawi has already reached a post-democracy era and, as such, only… Read more »

Karrim
Karrim
7 years ago

Well narrated. However, we must not overlook that some of these problems are externally induced. Before we rush to oust the current regime over some of those issues, we must well in advance contemplate how the issues could be successfully addressed without external reprissals. Let’s admit, the world economies are more interdependent than it it were a decade ago, just as they were more interdependent a decade ago than half a century ago! Your presentation leaves a lot to be desired if it is really about prohibitive interest rates.

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