Mutharika wants export-driven economy: Opens Malawi international trade fair
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has said his government will re-orientate the country’s economy towards exports, saying there will be wide-ranging reforms to the way the southern African nation does its business.
The President was speaking on Friday at the International Trade Fair grounds in Blantyre, when he performed his maiden opening of the 26th Malawi International Trade Fair.
He called upon local businesses to produce high quality products as international markets have become more competitive.
“I am pleased that this year’s theme [Productivity: A key to Exploiting Export Opportunities] is consistent with my government’s agenda of seeking to transform the country from a consuming economy to an exporting one,” said Mutharika.
He promised government will invest in training and application of new technologies to enable local firms maximize production.
The President said his administration will place the private sector at the core of the drive to redistribute wealth, create sustainable jobs and enhance the competitiveness of Malawian products on the international market.
“This means my administration will introduce reforms to create a conducive environment in which the private sector is able to rise to the occasion and attend to the important task of driving the engine of economic growth,” said Mutharika.
Part of the reforms, the President said, will be to expand the scope of the Ministry of Labour to include the task of bridging the contradictions between curriculums in schools and the human resource needs in public and private sector.
“Through creativity, hard work and collaboration, we, as country, will be able to achieve anything,” Mutharika said.
The fair has attracted 250 exhibitors, with two coming from Zimbabwe and another two from Kenya.
