Salima Sugar Company under fire over workers gear
Minister of Industry and Trade Salim Bagus has asked Salima Sugar Company to provide personal protective equipment to its workers to protect them from contracting the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) disease.
The minister made the call on Wednesday when he visited the company to appreciate their Covid-19 preventive measures.
He observed that while managers had Covid-19 protective gear such as masks, their junior workers had none.
The visit by the minister also revealed that workers had no other protective gear such as overalls, gumboots and gloves.
Said Bagus: “I am not happy to see employees exposed to dangerous environments without personal protective equipment. I have given them a warning that they should address this as soon as possible.
“I am dismayed because workers are exposed to chemicals and electricity which poses a danger to life. This is a concern to government and they need to start complying.”
Speaking on behalf of the company, GreenBelt Authority director of finance and investment Amon Mluwira blamed the contractors and gave them until today to rectify the issues.
He said the company will review its terms with the contractors at the factory to ensure that only those who comply render their services.
The company grows its own sugarcane and procures some from 250 small-scale sugar growers for producing its sugar.
The company is a public limited company with 60 of its shares held by the promoters (Aum Sugar Company Limited) while 40 percent of its shares are held by the Government of Malawi.
