Malawi flushes out illegal traders

Four Malawi Government institutions have joined forces in a seven-day massive campaign to instil sanity and an orderly business conduct in the country, a senior government official said yesterday.

The four, Malawi Police Service (MPS), Immigration Department, Competition and Fair Trade Commission (CFTC) and Ministry of Industry and Trade, are pouncing on illegal traders, checking on fitness of goods and compliance of business licences, according to Ministry of Industry and Trade deputy director of domestic trade Charity Musonzo.

She told Nation Online in Lilongwe that the inspection team is simultaneously undertaking the exercise in all the three regions of the country.

“We are checking on whether the goods are fit for human consumption; immigration officials are checking on the legality of traders and dual passport holders and how foreigners obtained Malawi passports,” she said.

Musonzo said the team is checking whether both local and foreign business operators are complying with Business Licensing Act and the Refugees Act.

She added: “CFTC is checking on counterfeit products, disclaimers, the display of prices in shops and also the overall standards of goods.”

Musonzo said in the operation, Trade Ministry officials are pouncing on those business operators whether they are operating with a licence and whether the licences are valid.

CFTC executive director Charlotte Malonda said yesterday that it is their wish to see traders complying with consumer protection laws in the country, hence taking part in the joint exercise.

Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito yesterday welcomed the exercise but cautioned that the operation should not be “an event or once-off but continuous.”

“This is quite commendable, but it should be an event. Such operations should be at the heart of MBS since this issue of traders selling substandard products have been there before,” he said.