Minister Kandodo tour companies: Makande Tea Estate, CORI and Chirimba Textiles amid Covid-19 pandemic
Minister of Labour, Ken Kandodo toured some companies in Southern Region on Monday, to inspect if they were adhering to COVID-19 preventive measures and find out how they were managing the pandemic.
Kandodo visited Makande Tea Estate, Capital Oil Refining Industries (CORI) and Chirimba Textiles.
“Today I visited some companies in the south to primarily find out the impact of COVOD-19 on their businesses and indeed, to see if they are complying with preventive measures that government has put in place,” said Kandodo.
The minister said he was satisfied with the way the companies were complying with COVID-19 preventive measures.
He added that despite having their businesses affected negatively by the pandemic, the companies visited had not laid of their staff.
“It is clear that many businesses have suffered and are still suffering because of the effects of this pandemic, but I was pleased to see that the companies I have visited have not laid off staff because of these effects.
“This is very good news to us as a ministry. While we are in the process of creating one million jobs, to see companies not making huge profits but have maintained their staff is very commendable,” he said.
However, Kandodo expressed worry that they may not be able to create the 1 million jobs within a year as promised because of the brutal effects of COVID-19 on business market and the workforce in general.
The minister was, however, optimistic government would be able to create a substantial number of jobs within the year with the initiatives it has put in place such as the empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He said such entities have potential to create more jobs and conducive environment for businesses and the economy to grow.
The minister also took advantage to tackle the issue of employing more foreigners in Malawian companies, saying it was unfair to give a foreigner a position at the job which a Malawian can do.
Executive Director of CORI, Mohammed Ameen Nathanie said he was happy that the Minister of Labour paid a visit to their company in this time of the pandemic.
Nathanie said his company adheres to all the government requirements of minimum wage, safety guidelines and prioritising Malawians in the workforce.
He said despite being hit hard by the pandemic and introduction of 16.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on cooking oil, they have maintained the workforce.
The CORI Executive Director then urged government to consider revisiting the 16.5 per cent VAT on cooking oil to help them reduce their prices and be as competitive on the market as in the past years.
He also expressed worry that some traders were smuggling cooking oil from neighboring Mozambique, which he said was affecting their competitiveness on the market.
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Honourable Minister Kandodo where are the figures for job creation? How many? Where is the empowerment of SMEs? Are this SMEs you visit, no this are big companies run buy people of asian origin! Our SMEs will for sure not pay minimum wages of 50 000 Kwacha! And everybody who can is buying cooking oil from outside because the local is too expensive! We all know why! I guess you CORI CEO didn’t tell you how many thousands of litres less of his cooking oil he sold, and how many people he have dismissed! But, let’s hope you went with… Read more »
Ma company a amwenye akuba okha okha awo mumakataniko???? Amazunza anthu moyipa.. You go zea as a minister and you are busy smiling.
Paja maKandodo ndi maKazombo have got to be ministers chifukwa choti ndi akubanja la Kamuzu eti (of course surrogate banja la Kamuzu)? Well, Ken Kandodo is one opportunist who will just go down as a non-contributor entity. Deny or accept it, Ken Kandodo is bland.
Ntchito one million? Maloto achumba. Pangani bodza lina.
He went to collect allowances
While I appreciate your effort you are taking but you are forgetting Multi-choice company which is very expensive than many African countries like South Africa,Zambia etc. I pay my Tv through South Africa which is very reasonable than our own multi-choice company, An ordinary Malawian cannot afford with the subscription the company’s tariff. You know though its business but even in South Africa the Black Friday subscription is completely down to let many South Africans afford while in Malawi the default materials are the ones put on black Friday, poor government and why is the CFTC fail to visit them.Why… Read more »
Very true Multi-choice too expensive and an ordinary Malawian cannot afford its subscription
What a waste of time money and energy. I am sure the minister could do something useful instead.
At least Kandodo has woken up from slumber. I guess he is doing this because the president and his vice are internally evaluating ministers’ performance. I doubt if under his leadership Malawi will even create 200, 000 jobs. Kandodo is not competent enough for this job, or any other ministerial position. This is a fact.
Kuma kampani omanga manyumba ndi misewu bwanji simutyendera.Nafenso tiliuvutika tsano zaka za nkhaninkhani malipiro osatikwezera.Ndiponso zaka khumi pa contract inu tayenderani muone mmene anthu akuvutikira.
Accessory yake nde izikhala briefcase….! Ka tie kakafupi kosatha nsalu. Off to the tours we go 🙂
Mbuzi ya Minister yina ndi imeneyi