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Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) president Martin Kansichi has said government did not consult the private sector in preparations for the Mtwara Corridor project.
Kansichi said in an interview after the launch of the corridor in Lilongwe Wednesday government did not involve and consult the private sector when it conducted a survey and held meetings about the corridor before the launch.
“I don’t know why government had to engage foreigners when conducting the survey. What if some of these foreigners had bad intentions and decided to take the ideas away?” he queried.
He was referring to a survey which was carried out in nine of the 13 Sadc states by the Association of Sadc Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The survey was conducted between June and September this year and results were released in October.
“This was a very big mistake. Why did it have to involve foreigners when right here in our country we have capable people from universities who could do the job and even some experts in the private sector” wondered Kansichi.
He also said he was not happy with the way some meetings were being held in preparation for the summit. He gave an example of the ministerial meeting that took place on Tuesday night where the governments involved proposed amendments on some areas contained in the agreement document.
“You see this is why we are asking for a close working relationship with the government. These meetings were supposed to involve us but they said they were only for ministers. When I asked Dr. Ali why we were not invited he said the meeting only concerned ministers, why,” he asked.
Kansichi in his address during the launch emphasised the dangers of holding separate meetings, which he said, creates suspicions. “We need to get involved as partners at all times. I would even propose holding investment conferences on the development of the corridor and we believe that the four governments will create a window for transparent incentives” he explained.
Contacted for comment, Mnister of Transport and Public Works Henry Mussa said government did not involve the private sector because the initiative is not yet operational.
“The idea is still being tailored and at the moment it’s only the government officials who have to be involved in the talks before the idea is sold to the private sector”. he said.
The corridor was jointly established with the overall objective of developing regions through improved integration of infrastructure that will lead to reduced input costs for investment in export oriented economic sectors so as to promote cross-border trade among the four countries involved.
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