By Linda Kwanjana
Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule has commended BM Sofa Designs Furniture for expanding its business to the Capital City Lilongwe.
The company has its headquarters in Mzuzu.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday when she presided over the official opening of the BM Sofa Designs Furniture in Area 49 in Lilongwe, the minister commended the company for employing 151 employees in Mzuzu alone.
The company is also set to have plus or minus 140 employees in Lilongwe.
“I see a full social economic system that will spill over from this enterprise. The quality of their products is amazing. What’s impressive from my end is the fact that they have their own private forest of a special type of tree they need for production, which means they are not contributing towards deforestation,” she said.
The Minister said while materials used to make these are imported, the end product is surely an import substitute on its own.
“You can buy on credit, you can lay bye and transport is provided for free when you make a purchase,” she said.
The Minister has since discouraged those trying to import furniture to buy from BM Furniture and save forex.
Said Kamtukule, “My question to you is, why import when you can buy local?”
Speaking during the function , Member of Parliament for City Centre Constituency, Alfred Jiya commended BM Sofa for opening the branch in his constituency saying most youth in his area will find employment.
Mayor of Lilongwe city Richard Banda has also Commended BM Sofa Designs for coming up with a different way of doing furniture business.
“As a country lets support our own Malawi products. Lets support our own designs lets promote our Malawi brand,” said Banda.
Meanwhile, BM Sofa Designs Managing Director Pater Kasese has pledged to provide quality products in the city of Lilongwe.
Kasese has appealed to Malawians to support his business saying doing so will help him employ more Malawians.
