PARIS, France
President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has faulted previous administrations for neglecting industrialization in his country, saying many factories have been closed in the country since the dawn of multiparty democracy.
He
made the remarks this afternoon when he opened the 5th SADC Industrialization Week and Exhibition under the theme “Bolstering Productive Capacities in the
face of Covid-19 Pandemic for Inclusive Sustainable Economic and Industrial
Transformation”. President of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi also attended
the opening ceremony.
Chakwera
said Governments in the SADC region have been implementing policies that hinder
the transformation of the region’s economies from raw resource dependency to
value adding production through technological research.
He
then provided the example of industrialization in Malawi which he said has been
neglected over the past 26 years. Chakwera noted that many factories have been
closed in Malawi since the dawn of multiparty democracy. The Malawi leader
mentioned Mulanje Canning Factory, Brown and Cleverton and British American
Tobacco as some companies that have closed.
He
added that the Malawi Development Corporation which was established to finance
development was also dissolved.
“These
were once leading our economy’s march towards value addition and production but
overtime they took their operations elsewhere because we allowed ourselves to
be governed by administrations without industrialization agenda.
Administrations which allowed such enablers of industrialization as the
transport system and power generation to get run down,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera
said this resulted in the decline of the manufacturing sector’s contribution to
GDP from 20 percent in 1995 to 12 percent in 2020.
Then
president then stated that his administration has made industrialization a key
priority and it is also one of the main pillars in improving the economic
status of the country.
He
also expressed hope that Malawi will benefit greatly from the SADC Industrialization Week and Exhibition.
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