Tuesday, January 26, 2021
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Adverts
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Business Business News

Mchinji taxi operators feel economic hardships

by Johnny Kasalika
11/02/2013
in Business News
3 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

Taxi operators in the central Malawi district of Mchinji used to make a lot of money in the years gone by to the extent that they could afford to buy cars, houses and plots even after working for just two years.

The operators interviewed at the Boma last Wednesday said they dread the future because the economy is not showing any signs of recovering.

RelatedHeadlines

Smuggling of flour, cooking oil rising, say traders

World bank touts Economic inclusion

Malawi trade balance to face continued pressure—firm

On this particular day, about 15 taxis were parked waiting for passengers going to Mwami border to connect to Zambia. In an interview, the operators said plying the Mchinji—Mwami border route used to be lucrative, but not anymore.

One of the operators, Gerald Msumya, says he started operating his taxi in 1990, but by 1992, he had bought another taxi and employed a driver.

By 1996, Msumya says he had acquired a plot and built a good house and was leading a decent life.

“Life used to be simple and we were making a lot of money, but now there are many taxis and coupled with the fuel increases, then we are working just to bring bread on our tables,” says Msumya.

He says on a good day then, he used to make over K20 000, but now he makes less than half of that.

“We are suffering because of the fuel hikes and the devaluation of the kwacha because many customers always ask for a discount,” says Msumya.

Another operator, William Sakala, says business has gone down mainly because many traders at the boma have got taxis because then it was a lucrative business.

“Mchinji is one of the districts with a lot of taxis and this is why we are not making more money as was the case before,” he says.

“I started this job as a taxi driver in 2006 and within two years, I managed to buy my own car. A year after buying my own car, I bought a plot and I will complete the house this year,” says Sakala.

He, however, says at the turn of the century, many people saw how taxi drivers were getting rich and they bought many taxis at the same time, hence, flooding the market.

Sakala says since then, business has not been as good and, instead of waiting for 10 minutes for a taxi to be filled, they wait for more than an hour on bad days.

“We charge K500 per passenger to the border and the process of waiting for the taxi to be filled takes most of our time. Today, if you make more than K10 000, you are very lucky,” says a worried Sakala.

He also says the decision by government to float the kwacha and the reintroduction of the automatic pricing mechanism of fuel has made most of them look for alternative businesses.

“We are readjusting ourselves because business is no longer the same,” says Sakala.

Another operator, Edward Kamulodere, of Mkanda said he has sold two of his taxis because business is not good these days.

“We are suffering. Our hope is that government is going to work hard to make the kwacha strong again,” says Kamulodere.

Previous Post

Can we suddenly get rid of them?

Next Post

Standard 7 dropout finds wealth in welding

Related Posts

flour | The Nation Online
Business News

Smuggling of flour, cooking oil rising, say traders

January 25, 2021
graph 6 | The Nation Online
Business News

World bank touts Economic inclusion

January 25, 2021
Business News

Malawi trade balance to face continued pressure—firm

January 23, 2021
Next Post

Standard 7 dropout finds wealth in welding

Trending Stories

  • covid 2 | The Nation Online

    SA returnees in forced quarantine

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Tonse faulted on former presidents’ benefits

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Health workers not spared by Covid-19

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • court rebuffs apm on frozen account

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Cometh the hour,Cometh the man

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Opinions and Columns

My Turn

Behaviour change key in Covid-19 fight

January 25, 2021
Emily Mkamanga

Citizens power brings change

January 24, 2021
Search Within

The rural farmer needs to take centre stage

January 24, 2021
My Thought

Spread hope not fear

January 24, 2021
  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2021 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.