Government to scale up shop inspections
Malawi Government has warned traders selling imported goods without import permits that they will be punished.
Assistant director of trade Wiskes Mkombezi issued the warning last week after the Ministry of Trade and Industry conducted random inspections in Lilongwe City which revealed that some shops have been selling animal, agricultural and other food products from Asia, Europe and South Africa without valid business documents.
He said: “We conduct periodic inspections just to see if traders have valid papers, including import permits, animal health certificates as well as plant certificates from research stations.
“In some shops, we found expired goods and we are warning others who are doing this to stop immediately.”
Mkombezi said trade officers recently visited some shops and supermarkets in the city where they found commodities which require permits being sold without the said documents.
The ministry says after conducting inspections in Lilongwe they will scale up inspections by visiting shops in Mzuzu, Zomba, Blantyre and other districts to make sure that traders are adhering to government rules and procedures.
