Emulate Nyasa, Minister urges Malawi companies

Minister of industry and trade Joseph Mwanavekha has urged companies in Malawi to emulate Nyasa manufacturing company for its value addition to local products as it is exporting cigarettes that are made from locally grown tobacco.

Mwanamvekha said Nyasa is doing a commendable job in value addition and pledged government support to the company.

“This is very important. The company is also doing import substitution; they are making cigarettes in the country,” said Mwanamvekha when he visited Nyasa manufacturing company factory located along Kidney Crescent in Blantyre that

“We would want to see the company grow, produce enough for both local and international markets and increase their workforce,” he added.

Nyasa which controls 50 percent of the cigarette market in the country manufactures Nyasa fodya, 20 and Sahara cigarettes .

Mwanavekha said Malawi’s economy can substantially grow if more companies stop exporting unprocessed products and start adding value before exporting.

“It is the government’s policy to support local manufacturing companies,” said Mwanamvekha.

Nyasa has just developed a new brand of cigarette called Super King

The company’s chairperson Konrad Buckle assured the minister that Nyasa will keep on expanding by implementing its new ideas which will benefit Malawi’s economy.

We want to re-invest in Malawi and grow the company in Malawi which is the third biggest tobacco producer in the world. I do not understand why we, as a country are failing to do value addition. Our aim is to add value as much as possible of our tobacco,” he said.

He said Malawi has the potential to be the one of the biggest cigarette manufacturing industries in sub-sahara Africa NMC pays annual tax of K300 million to Malawi Revenue Authority according to Buckle.