Mzimba business community wants foreign traders removed
Members of Mzimba business community stormed M’mbelwa district council officers where they presented a petition asking government to vacate foreign traders in the district and ask them to be in major cities.
In the petition made available to Nyasa Times, the local traders said all foreigners who include Chinese, Burundians, Swahilis and Indians need to move to cities within two weeks.
In the petition the local business community say the foreigners who have big capital investments were suffocating the growth of small scale enterprises being owned by Malawians.
The petition further states that these foreign traders have flooded the market with their cheap imported goods, a development that is killing the local manufacturing industry.
They also protested that the foreigners have been winning all tenders for the supply of various services like stationery, construction materials due to hefty kickbacks and commissions with which they bribe procurement officers.
”All what we are saying is that these people should re-locate in towns and cities so that small scale businesses should flourish,” said Wakukaya Tembo, chaiperson of Mzimba business community.
Tembo further said the local traders have been outraged by these foreign traders whom he said are cheating peasant farmers by buying their produce at cheaper prices.
And speaking after receiving the petition district commissioner for Mzimba Rev. Moses Chimphepo thanked the local traders for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.
Chimphepo further said he is going to forward the petition to relevant authorities in order to seek direction on the matter.
He also appealed for patience and ensure that all avenues have been exhausted instead of destroying property of these foreign traders as was the case in Dowa recently.
The petition was signed by over 60 members of Mzimba business community.
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