Entrepreneurs urged to move to designated places
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism has given a June 30 2016 deadline to all non- Malawian businesspersons currently trading in non-designated areas to move to designated places.
According to a notice of cessation of trading to all non-Malawian businesses operating in undesignated areas without proper licenses from the Chief Business Licensing Officer and Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism Cliff Chiunda, the development is in accordance with the Regulations of the Business Licensing Act 2012 (BLA) (No. 27 of 2012).
The BLA stipulates that any non-Malawian citizen intending to carry out a business should do so in designated areas under selected local authorities as presented in the Third Schedule of the Business licensing regulations.
“No extensions will be granted to any non-Malawian businesspersons who will continue conducting business in non-designated areas after this deadline,” reads the notice in part.
Chiunda is advising all non-Malawians that do not have the requisite permits and licences to obtain the necessary permits and licences to enable them conduct business in the country.
He says contravention of the Act will lead to prosecution in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
The designated central business districts are Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu as well as Kasungu and Luchenza municipal councils.
The ministry says relevant institutions will re-enforce their monitoring and inspection exercises to ensure adherence to the provisions of the Act.
Does this mean no foreign investment can come into the lake districts, for example? This is a joke! May be Malawi should learn from what happened when something similar happened in the 70s. Rural areas stagnated.