MITC urges private sector players to pool resources together to meet export demand in South Sudan
The Malawi Investment Trade Centre (MITC) has urged players in the private sector to work together in order to meet export demand in South Sudan.
The Centre’s Board Chairperson Karl Chokhotho made the remarks in Lilongwe during an interface meeting between Malawi private sector and South Sudan delegation aimed at discussing numerous business opportunities that exist between the two countries.
“We need companies in the private sector as well as small and medium enterprises to pool their resources, products and come together to satisfy the demand in South Sudan,” Chokhotho said.
According to a agreement signed between governments of Malawi and South Sudan, Malawi received an interest to export $129m metric tonnes of maize flour, soya beans, sugar, beans, cow peas, rice, cooking oil, Irish potato and ground nuts.
So far, he said, Malawi has exported 1, 200 tonnes of maize flour and 400 tonnes of soya beans.
Chokhotho said the capacity to supply the products is there but the major issue is aggregation where most companies want to do it alone instead of simplifying it and allow others to add up.
He, however, highlighted the role of MITC in exporting goods to Juba that they will facilitate an export certificate from the centre, buyer and seller negotiation for a contract, pricing, supply terms and payment, identify suitable buyers in Sudan as well as identification of logistics company to handle the export among others.
South Sudan representative also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS), Mary Nyitur Moartat, said her delegation was satisfied with the trade ties between the two countries.
“We need quality goods coming to our country from Malawi,” she said.
Moartat said standardization of products should be a priority before exporting them.
