LL vendors tipped on regional integration opportunities

The National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust on Tuesday tipped the Lilongwe business community on how it can benefit from the trade and economic opportunities from Malawi’s membership with regional blocs.

Nice district civic education officer (Lilongwe Urban) Hajira Ali said regional trade blocs such as theSouthern African Development Community (Sadc) play critical role in boosting small scale businesses.

Ali therefore advised the Lilongwe Vendors Association to seriously consider utilising all the regional economic and trade blocs if Malawi is register meaningful socioeconomic transformation.

She said Nice had noted that Malawians have generally underutilised the social and economic potentials accruing from regional integration.

She explained: “We have since taken it upon ourselves to raise awareness among vendors, the general public and other key stakeholders so that they participate in decision-making and implementation of Sadc decisions. We believe vendors are critical to driving the economic agenda of this country in as far as regional economic integration is concerned.”

Caroline Mbisa, one of the vendors present during the awareness meeting, acknowledged that producers of various goods and services within a regional integration grouping could benefit from increased market, which in turn, would facilitate innovation, increased customer base and improved prices for their goods and services.

But Mbisa asked government to remove a number of barriers, which she said are reducing Malawi’s potential to sell her goods and services beyond the borders.

She cited various forms of abuses harassments, including physical searches local traders suffer under the tax collection bodies, police and immigration officials.

“Some immigration officials tell us to undress so that they can search us. This is dehumanising and a big deterrent to regional economic integration,” compained Mbisa.

An official from the Immigration Department Douglas Bangula advised the traders to report to police or the department any official involved in malpractices and mishandling of local traders at border posts.