By Vincent Gunde
Shortages of sugar and high prices of the commodity will continue to be haunting Malawians following the commitment made by two local sugar companies in Malawi: Illovo Sugar Malawi and Salima Sugar Company Limited that production of sugar will commence within April, 2024.
Sugar prices has reached at an alarming state and is one of the essential needs used and the situation has greatly affected brewing of Kachasu beer and close down Tea room businesses with the users insulting and castigating the government in power,
As the sugar situation is going worse day by day, Zambian sugar has flooded Markets across the country and it is being sold at a higher price beyond the reach of the poor making one to wonder the presence of two sugar companies in Malawi amid sugar shortages and high pricing.
In a joint press release on sugar situation dated 19th March, 2024 signed by Christina Zakeyo Secretary of Trade and Industry, Lekani Katandula Managing Director-Illovo Sugar and Wester Peter Kosamu Executive Chairman-Salima Sugar Company Limited, Government has assured Malawians that it will continue issuing import license for sugar until the situation normalizes.
The press release says government will introduce regulations under the Business Licensing Act aimed at regulating distributors of sugar in the country saying this is to protect consumers against unscrupulous distributors.
In the press release, Government and sugar producing companies have assured the business community and the general public that they will continue monitoring the situation on availability of sugar on the market.
“The Government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 19th March, 2024 met local sugar producing companies and sugar distributors to discuss the sugar situation in the country,” reads the release in part.
Meanwhile, political activist Bon Elias Kalindo, has accused government for employing politics chasing Indians and replacing them with Malawians at Salima Sugar Company Limited for its agenda to steal money from the company.
Kalindo has questioned Malawians that what and where is it exactly President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is delivering warranting Malawians to vote for him in 2025 to bounce back citing lies on passport printing, high sugar prices, and no maize in Malawi, among other lies.
He said very soon, he will organize mass demonstrations that Malawians are sick and tired of lies appealing to patriotic Malawians to give President Chakwera no vote in 2025 claiming that people of the central region forming the bedroom of the MCP are also sailing through pain and suffering for a wrong choice of leadership.
