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| Business |
| ‘Mipa, Mepc merger delay bad for Malawi’ |
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by
Ephraim Munthali, 26 January 2004
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16:58:37
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Business captains warned on Monday government’s delay to merge its investment and export promotion agencies could affect the level of investment in Malawi.
“This delay will bring speculation and uncertainty among investors,” said Perks Ligoya, Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) spokesman.
Government announced the merger in the 2002/2003 national budget in pursuance of what was touted as cost cutting measures. However, 18 months down the line, the two bodies still operate independently.
The Mipa/Mepc marriage means that government will be funding the two as one entity, a move the private sector believe will improve efficiency, cut administrative costs and deliver better services.
Ligoya said both local and foreign investors may look at this as a policy reversal, a situation that could reduce government’s credibility.
“Government’s lack of consistency with its own policies will continue to stifle investment in this country because investors are always unsure of its policies,” he said.
Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) said the two bodies are not serving the business community well due to their independent operations.
“The merger would have improved the organisation’s delivery of service to the business community,” said MCCCI president Martin Kansichi.
Kansichi added that by working under one roof, the two institutions would save money which could be used for attracting more investors and exploring new export markets.
“We do not understand why such a good policy is being delayed. We will continue to lobby relevant departments to speed up the merger,” he added.
Both Ministry of Finance and Ministry Responsible for Statutory Corporations officials were not available for comment on Monday.
But Ministry of Finance spokesman Patrick Zimpita told The Nation in July 2002 that the two bodies duplicate most of the activities hence the need for the merger. |
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