Local manufactures in Malawi want protection
They have condemned the government for removing excise duties from importers of textiles saying it makes the imported goods cheaper than those manufactured locally. They also blamed smuggling, price under declaration and other vices being detrimental to their business.
‘We are facing it rough’ said Charles Nkana, who works with a textile manufacturing company. ‘The clothes being imported are being sold at give away prices yet we sell ours at a slightly higher price because we have to sell at a price covering production costs. If the government does not come to our rescue, we may close business soon.’
One of the leading textile manufacturers in the country, Mapeto DWSM recently invested $35 million in the company which includes buying state-of-the-art ginning machine. But the company’s general manager Martin Mpata fears that the investment might go to waste if government does not protect local industries.
Mpata said, ‘The manufacturing industry in the country is far from developing. The country must offer incentives to the manufacturing industry that will grow and export the goods to relieve the country of forex problems.’
He said that their newly installed machines have made the company move from working with two shifts to three shifts. He said that they work in all the seven days in the week, 24 hours each day.
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