Mutharika ends US visit: Malawi trade reforms hailed

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has ended his working visit to United States where he met with the United States trade representative, officials of the Export Import Bank as well as officials from a tobacco buyers group.

Mutharika has been commended by US Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman for the efforts his administration has put in place to improve trade in Malawi.

Froman spoke in Washington DC when he had an audience with the Malawi leader at the end of his official tour of the United States.

Ambassador was among others impressed with the launch of the One Stop Service Centre at Malawi Investment Trade Centre (MITC), which has improved the registration of new business licences from about 60 days to about five days.

“The established of the One Stop Trade centre is a great milestone in the creation of an enabling environment for trade and development,” he said.

In his remarks, President Mutharika asked Ambassador Froman to lobby in renewing the AGOA Act for another term.

“In addition, it would be most appreciated if you assisted the Malawi Government, to increase its quota of tobacco sales in the USA market, especially when you consider that some producers do not fulfill their quota as required,” said Mutharika

“As you are aware, Malawi’s number one foreign exchange earner is tobacco.    Malawi can take advantage of this situation to help more rural farmers in Malawi,” he added.

In his response the US Trade Representative promised to lobby with the US government to review Malawi’s quota to the US market.

He also pledged to lobby with the Obama administration to increase support to Malawi through their existing channels such as AGOA, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, PEPFAR, the Africa Power Pool initiative and YALI.

While in Washington, President Mutharika was also the guest of honor at the U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus Foundation – a bipartisan group. The organization wants to set up a bi-partisan caucus in Malawi’s parliament on conservation.

He returns home on Saturday.

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