By Kondwani Magombo -Mana
Malawi Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima, says government will support marketers in the country to, among other things, have a draft bill tabled at cabinet and parliament levels to regulate marketing practices and training.
Chilima made the pledge on Saturday when he addressed the 2020 Marketers Conference at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi in response to earlier call by the outgoing Institute of Marketing in Malawi (IMM), Golden Banda, for government to support the process.
The vice president described the development as commendable progress and assured the IMM of the Tonse Alliance led government’s total support.
“On behalf of His Excellency the State President, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, I would like to assure you that we shall give you required support to ensure the realization of your goals of regulating the profession,” said Chilima.
But Chilima challenged the Marketers to devise ways of selling the country’s brands far and beyond and to also have the well-being of Malawians at heart.
He said in the wake of the Covid-19 that has devastated the globe by bringing activities in all sectors to a halt, Malawi highly relies on professional decisions to help the country move forward.
“We are at a crossroads and as marketers your country needs you: It needs you to uplift the hearts of its people and to uplift their lives.
“Malawians are looking up to professionals for moral leadership as we face multiple existential challenges,” said Chilima.
He added: “As we help our respective organizations survive the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic, we must not lose sight of our duty to our nation – for in truth, our organisations shall not truly recover from this pandemic in a sick nation. That is my call to you: help us lead the people of this country to prosperity.”
Chilima further said surviving the Covid-19 disruption will require unity of purpose and that whatever strategies the marketers may devise, they should take into account the dire needs of the communities in which the marketers businesses operate.
The vice president also tipped the marketers on facing the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic by first believing in the universal principles, namely; attention to detail, empathy for all stakeholders, hope for a better day and belief in oneself, teamwork, honesty and dependability.
Earlier, the outgoing IMM president said the institute has plans to train, examine and produce chartered marketers who can sell the country’s brands far and beyond.
But Banda said for all that to happen, it all depends on the draft bill which is pending tabling by cabinet and Parliament hence, the call for governments support.
He said as marketers they will take the vice president’s appeal to market the country and help uplift the lives of Malawians seriously.
The IMM elective AGM has since elected Isabela Kachinjika as its new President and she has since accepted it as “great honour to be the first female president for the Institute”.
Kachinjika thanked Chilima for the pledged support and she expressed optimism that the turn of a new chapter for the Institute will be exciting and fruitful.
The conference’s theme was Business Agility in the Face of Disruption and among other activities the Institute donated various essential items to Koche School for the Blind.
