APM says Malawi a free trade area: Arrives in Malta for CHOGM, next stop UK
Malawian President Prof. Peter Mutharika has arrived safely in Malta for the 24th session of Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (Chogm), saying it is crucial because among his key events will be selling of Malawi as an investment destination for global investors attracting foreign investment in the process.
The Malawi leader is expected to lead the Malawi delegation at an investment promotion session to be held on the sidelines of CHOGM.
Since he attained the Presidency, Mutharika has prioritized foreign direct investment (FDI) as one of the key precursors of Malawi’s development.
Also a main feature on his schedule, is presentation of a key-note address on how Commonwealth countries can improve access to health services.
Mutharika will, in his speech, zero in on how Commonwealth’s diverse experience and expertise in the health sector can be harnessed to improve systems and outcomes for patients.
Speaking to Malawian journalists before departure at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA), President Mutharika emphasized on the importance of the meeting saying among others it will tackle issues of trade among member states.
Said Mutharika: “One of the agenda to the meeting is trade within the Commonwealth countries. As you know Britain and Australia are more advanced nations in trade issues, we will learn from their stories and hence advance in our respective nations.”
According to President Mutharika, 54 countries will be represented at the summit making it a priority for Malawi to attend.
The meeting will also tackle issues of climate change, economy and it is expected that President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena will hand over Chairmanship to Malta President.
Apart from going to Malta, Mutharika also told journalists that he will proceed to the United Kingdom for the Global Investment Forum where he will be the guest speaker.
“After the CHOGM summit I will proceed to the UK to attend the Global Investment Forum where I will be the guest speaker.
“From the Global Investment Forum, I will also attend the Chinese Africa summit in South Africa where I will meet the Chinese President on investment to Malawi,” he said.
According to Mutharika, while in South Africa, he will lobby for possible investors to Malawi as he said ‘Malawi is a free trade area’.
Malta is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for a second time, having successfully done so in 2005.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent states with a combined population of 2.2 billion. The association came together in 1949, after the decolonisation of the British Empire. Symbolically headed by Queen Elizabeth II, the Commonwealth includes some of the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest nations.
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The President is admirably tireless in promoting our country, as far as economic trade is concerned. Good. But the other fingers of the same hand, aka other players in government, either do not care or do not know how to latch onto APM’s bandwagon. Cases in point: water and power supply; health services; public security; transport (roads) infrastructure. Why would any investment manager take their money to a place where these services are so deficient as to be considered almost non-existent? The list is a long one, but the President, as an optimist, still pushes on. However, many top dogs… Read more »
Waste of resources!
Zina Kambu zine leku…….. Kofi anajambula a President ndi ndani? zoona pulezident wazanu ngati ali pa dzuwa?? sinthani chithuzicho chonde we have a cute handsome bwana…..
Who will buy into Malawi, when an investor changes his forex the next day kwacha has lost value, inflation will erode his money. For investors to come dont go looking for them, just bring inflation down to 12% and stabilise the kwacha without these 2 even if you globe trott 100 times no investor will come. The solution is at home your Finance minister and governor need to start doing jobs or replace with other capable people.
You need to show interest in investing in your own country Mr President before you embark on useless trips. If anything ministers and even mere government employees in the relevant departments can sell Malawi better than you because they are the ones doing the donkey work and relate to situations directly. You are fed informations which is in most cases …inaccurate. So you are going there in a pompous status telling investors lies when they now the truth about your product. Funny how you think…ohh how you are tuned. In Malawi you have individuals that can invest but they can’t… Read more »
Free trade area, my foot!!! What does Malawi produce on this planet? Forget the orthodox economics guys. We need our own brand of economics, suitable to our lame situation. Copying and pasting ideas from other countries will NOT help this country. In fact, we do not need western trained economists in Malawi, as their type of economics will not fly in Malawi
Its very simple to attract investors in Malawi, get electricity, water, roads and security working otherwise forget it.
Hahahahaha, is APM really serious? Who could come to Malawi and invest with our weak Kwacha to $ ratio? Who would want to spend on a country without security! who would want to come to a country when all we speak is continued blackouts? Mr president, we adore and love you so much but before you keep on wasting our tax money with your travelling please do us a favour by the following; Investigate the DPP cashgate Improve in the energy sector (blackouts) Control the current inflation 24 + % is bad for any country to initiate development. Bring in… Read more »
Malawi in good hands, we can not let loose the opportunity in hand, APM is a strategist, in 5 years time the ignorance will tough the development with their dirty hands to be believe its existence. Malawi ignorance is killing us, we don’t learn to appreciate – we have seen young boys and girls getting married, for some time now, there is no kids/money in the house, we need APM to bring every little development in a minute? If there is one country with every little thing which some people admire – its Malawi. We have abundant fresh water, land… Read more »
Give us results of the Lilongwe investment conference. How many investors have come as a result of that conference? Looks like we are trying to sell a product which is not yet ready for the market.