Most Indians working at Salima Sugar Factory are illegal in Malawi

Salima Sugar Company has been accused of  being dodgy employers hiring illegal immigrants from India after  Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda’s visit to the factory on Tuesday after arrival of experts from India as the company resumed production.

About 60 Indian nationals are working without permits  and Minister Chimwendo Banda noted during the visit that even some bosses at the factory do not have work  permits.

The minister described the tendency as unfortunate saying no one is supposed to enter into the country and start working without following what the law says on work permit for foreigners.

He added that he visited the factory to make sure that the law and work permit procedures are followed, and not to scare away investors.

The minister has since demanded top management from the factory to submit files and work permits for the company’s employees same Tuesday as deadline.

He has warned them that if they fail to do so, the law will take its course.

Most of the workers have come with experts from India who were affected  by the Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The factory was supposed to start sugar production in April but delayed because the experts from India are the only ones with expertise to operate the machinery.

Greenbelt Authority (GA) acting chief executive officer Amon Mluwira under whose responsibility the Salima Sugar Company falls said the Indian staff were supposed to be working in shifts “to ensure that production should not be disrupted.”

Salima Sugar Company  has recently become a competitor to Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc which has been a monopoly for the past decades.

The company grows its own sugarcane as well as procures cane from about 250 small-scale sugar growers.

Salima Sugar Company has 3 500 employee with 200 on permanent employment while the rest are seasonal or casual workers.