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Malawi’s 16th international trade fair closed on Sunday with organisers describing it as a success and admitting there is room for improvement while some foreign exhibitors complained of getting raw deals.
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, chief executive for the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI), said preliminary indications show that most local companies have got orders.
He mentioned Pew Engineering Limited, currently awaiting approval of name change to Henred Fruehauf (Malawi) Limited, as one of the companies that got orders in excess of 47 trailers during the trade fair.
“They don’t have capacity because they have just started operating but this is good for the Malawi economy because the economy will expand as the companies will employ more people to meet demands,” he said.
But the trade fair was not all rosy, according to Kaferapanjira, who mentioned the delayed arrival of some merchandise because a ship meant to dock at Nacala port on the Indian Ocean coast in Mozambique did so at Beira as one dark side to the event.
He said Indian exhibitors, on the other hand, had initially said they would only display but started selling after noticing that time was running out since their goods came in late.
“This is something we have to guard against in future. We are looking at working with stakeholders like the Malawi Revenue Authority, shipping lines and clearing agents, among others, to avoid a repeat,” he said.
On whether local companies have managed to get the estimated K3 billion business deals, Kaferapanjira said the figures should be out within the week when MCCCI finalises working on questionnaires on business deals.
Egypt’s Play (Africa) Group general manager Khalid Sattar said yesterday the fair was a good forum for business deals but said there is need to extend the period to 15 days to enable foreign exhibitors to finish selling their goods.
Sattar’s company was exhibiting carpets, bathing towels, bed sheets and other Egyptian products.
But Mukesh Bhatt, executive director for India’s Adi Exports Limited, said in a separate interview there was no business at the trade fair “because of lack of people’s purchasing power.”
Bhatt also said Malawians of Indian or Asian origin did not help matters either as they wanted to buy the products at give away prices.
“It was my first time to exhibit here and I will be proceeding to Botswana but there are little chances of coming here again,” he said.
Held under the theme, ‘Malawi International Trade Fair—Gateway to global market,’ the trade fair run from July 23 to August 1 and was officially opened by President Bingu wa Mutharika.
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