Mlombwa decry high lending rates in Malawi

Local entrepreneur, Mike Mlombwa, who is the Managing Director of Country Wide Group of Companies, has described high lending rates as one major challenge crippling local investors’ efforts in seizing the country’s business opportunities.

Mlombwa: Lending rates are high
Mlombwa: Lending rates are high
President Mutharika meet PTA Bank President and Chief Excutive Officer Admassu Tadesse-at-Malawi-Investment-Forum-in-lilongwe-on-Monday-C-Govati-Nyirenda-MANA
President Mutharika meet PTA Bank President and Chief Excutive Officer Admassu Tadesse-at-Malawi-Investment-Forum-in-lilongwe-on-Monday-C-Govati-Nyirenda-MANA

Speaking on the sidelines of the first-ever Malawi Investment Forum (MIF), Mlombwa, who is also the President of Indigenous Businesspersons Association of Malawi (IBAM), said most local entrepreneurs, who participated during the forum, complained of high lending rates.

Malawian companies put on the table 41 projects worth $3.3 billion for prospective joint venture investments with international investors.

Interest rates are floating at 40 percent in most commercial banks.

“During the forum, we shared our vision and dreams and we are extreme happy that a number of international partners showed interest in business and promised to support our vision and dreams.

“However, for them to pump in resources, they will need guarantees from government and commercial banks. We just hope that government and banks shall provide such guarantees when needed by SMEs and foreign investors,” said Mlombwa, asking government to create an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises to  achieve meaningful results from their endeavors.

He also reiterated his commitment to open a number of holiday resorts in the country, disclosing that they (Country Wide Group of Companies) have bought another piece of land in Chitheche, Nkhatabay worth K50 million where they will construct a “big resort”.

The Group–through Country Wide Hotels– is also constructing a Four-Star Hotel along Chileka Airport road, according to Mlombwa, it will be opened in December this year. Two more hotels will be constructed in northern city of Mzuzu and Namiwawa in Blantyre.

“We shared our ideas and plans both to local financiers and international partners from South Africa and USA’s OPIC..

“Access to finance is a major challenge, but we are glad that IBAM members took trouble to market their ideas and vision for possible support from foreign partners.

“As IBAM President, I will not stop engaging policy makers and prospective partners to largely support us. I also urge government to create enabling environment for locals to survive on the market. We want IBAM to beget not only millions but also billionaires,” said Mlombwa.

He also hailed government, mainly President Peter Mutharika, Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, Industry and Trade Minister Joseph Mwanamveka and Information, Tourism and Culture Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa for their support towards the forum, attracted over 200 delegates from 31 countries including China, USA, UK and South Arabia.

“They should continue with such initiatives so that by 2019, we should have local billionaires both in local currency and US dollars,” said Mlombwa.

Likewise, President Mutharika, who officially opened the two-day forum,  also held talks with the Vice President the Overseas Private Investment Corporation-OPIC, Mr Jon Polan on how best to advance the interests of SMEs in the country.

Mutharika admitted that SMEs are struggling to access loans in the country’s banks.

“I am pleased at the prospects of OPIC working in the country in the areas of energy, logistics, tourism, cold-storage, finance and agro-industry. I am committed to ensuring that any impediments to doing business in Malawi are addressed with speed,” said Mutharika.

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jcjcjd
jcjcjd
9 years ago

This is true. I am wondering why this issue never came earlier. Zambuyo mwa alendo. Grace period is very short.

captain
captain
9 years ago

Mlombwa is a business partner of Muthalika family ,same with Thom mpinganjira and Mike Chilewe amene mukutsutsa mudzifunse kuti bwanji sindinatchule inuyo kuti ndinu a business partner a muthalika.

syamboza
syamboza
9 years ago

a lomwe awa akungopatsana chuma anachivutikila Kamuzu chija. kutenga ngongole ma bilioni osabweza kumubakila mpaka kuipereka kwa mulomwe wina. mitundu inayi idzingo imbila mmanja pokhoma misonkho basi shamer

Achitauni
Achitauni
9 years ago

Official katapila with Malawian Banks.

Bristol
9 years ago

I agree with Mr. Mlombwa that bank interest rates are high. I also wonder the rationale behind interest on the money invested in the bank. When you get a loan of K1,000,000 by the end of repayment period, you have coughed around K1,500,000 but when the same amount of money is invested for a period of one year, you earn very little interest. It only shows that banks are not really serving the interests of majority poor.

cheyo the real northerner
cheyo the real northerner
9 years ago

It is true that the lending rates in our commercial banks is more than necessary. I totally conquer with Mlombwa that the situation is only making indigenous bussinesses not to flourish.

john
john
9 years ago

Kodi this IBAM where is its secretariat and who is its ceo and how can one become a member?Seems it’s only Mr Mlombwa that we hear of

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