By Chisomo Phiri
President Lazarus Chakwera has urged businesspersons in the country to always pay back loans they borrow from lending institutions to boost up their businesses.
He was speaking this at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Tuesday during an interactive meeting with business operators from the capital city.
The President said he wanted to meet the Lilongwe City business operators so that they can discuss issues affecting them on the marketplace.
“I am delighted today that vendors have voiced out problems they are facing day by day when doing business. You know the country has been facing financial challenges since Covid-19 but my government is still working so hard to make sure that we are better again as a country. For that matter, I want to assure you that I will support you in the businesses.
“Your concern on tax, I will put that into consideration so that you are able to make profits from the products you buy from outside the country. It is sad that vendors cannot afford to pay taxes because of the high prices they get from the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA),” he said.
Chakwera further encouraged the vendors to work together for them to help each other in boosting their businesses, telling them that “jealous will not take this country anywhere but when we are united it’s where we can see the progress.”
In his remarks, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, thanked the President for having an audience with the vendors, saying it shows how important the President considers its citizens.
“As the Minister, I am so grateful that the president had to meet the vendors for the first time here in Lilongwe with over one thousand vendors to give them a platform to present their concerns about how their businesses are doing.
“Issues which have been raised here are very important and the president will look into them very soon,” Chimwendo Banda said.
Representative of the business operators, Hardwell Kachibekete, emphasised the issue of tax, saying that since Covid-19, businesses have been hard to operate but they are still charged with high tax from MRA when they are importing products.
“We are pleased with how the President has responded to our concerns. Our biggest challenge was taxes, so the President has said that he will handle that matter with relevant authorities,” said Kachibekete.
