By Brenda Nkosi
Members of Parliament (MPs) have been called upon to support construction of Chigumula Industrial Site which, currently, requires additional K5.6 billion to be completed.
The call was made Thursday in Blantyre when Minister of Trade and Industry, Vitumbiko Mumba, and Parliamentary Committees on Trade and on Media and Information visited Chigumula Industrial Site to appreciate progress.
Mumba said by timely financing the project, the country will start realizing billions of Kwachas that will come from the site.
“Apart from creating jobs, these industries will help in bringing forex from exports. Industry is the backbone of any economy hence we need to speed up this project,” he said.
Mumba, therefore, lobbied MPs to support the initiative by approving the requested K5.6 billion.
Board Chairperson for Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC), Godwin Ng’oma, said Chigumula Industrial Site has made progress compared to the other four sites.
“Chigumula site has progressed a lot because it was taken as a pilot where we should learn from. We need K2.8 billion for the roads and K2.6 billion for the sewer and all finishing works. If we are given the money, come June 31, 2025, this site will be completed,” he said.
Chairperson for the Industry, Trade and Tourism and Media and Communication Cluster of Parliament, Paul Nkhoma, who is MP for Kasungu North East said they needed to inspect the site.
“Despite allocating a lot of money towards industrial sites for the past two years, we haven’t been seeing convincing progress,” he said.
He said they are now convinced with the progress made and will recommend extra finances for the project so that it is completed and handed over to investors.
