Agrocom Ltd caught hoarding cement imported from Zambia after government facilitated forex for the importation
* We have realised that there are some unscrupulous people who are on the ground to frustrate what my government is doing, just to make me look like a failure
* But let me warn you that although I am a calm person, do not take me for granted,” said the President
* As the Government metes an infringement order on a trade saboteur, Agrocom Ltd along the Kanengo-KIA road for hoarding over 7,000 bags of cement imported from Zambia
By Vincent Khonje, MANA
President Lazarus Chakwera has warned individuals allegedly working to frustrate his administration’s development agenda, saying they will not succeed.
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Speaking to a gathering at Waliranji trading centre during his whistle-stop rallies in Lilongwe and Mchinji yesterday, Chakwera said some people were deliberately trying to derail government programmes for political gain.
“We have realised that there are some unscrupulous people who are on the ground to frustrate what my government is doing, just to make me look like a failure.
“But let me warn you that although I am a calm person, do not take me for granted,” said the President — as the Government metes an infringement order on a trade saboteur, Agrocom Ltd along the Kanengo-KIA road for hoarding over 7,000 bags of cement imported from Zambia.
Agrocom is one of the four companies that had been assisted with forex to import low cost cement from Zambia in order to address acute shortages on the market — and speaking to the media, Secretary for Trade & Industry, Christina Zakeyo said it was disheartening to find out that Government had gone an extra mile to facilitate the importation, only for Agrocom to decide to hoard the commodity instead of putting it up on the market to take care of the shortages.
She emphasised that this is a direct infringement of the Competition and Fair Trading Act, saying: “We did not expect such infringement. Fellow importers like Randera, Melton Hardware and Mada Buildings have brought in and made available more than half of their expected quantities which are in the range of 67 trucks and we were expecting Agrocom to do the same.
“The laws are clear, having been served with the infringement notice, after investigations this company will be liable to the penalties there of. And even the Business Licensing Act which works hand in hand with the Competition and Fair Trading Act may come into play.”
Director of Consumer Affairs for Competition & Fair Trading Commission (CFTC), Brenda Bota said they had received complaints from consumers that the company, despite importing the cement, was not selling — hence issuance of the infringement notice upon which investigation and further action would follow.
CFTC’s Brenda Bota
According to Bota, the hoarding was in direct conflict with Section 51 (a) the Competition and Fair Trading Act and calls for up to 10% of gross annual turnover as penalty.
Bota further indicated that records so far show the company had been importing this cement since August 20 but up to September 1st, it had not released the cement to the market.
The inspection team had found a consignment of over 14 trucks which is equivalent to 7,800 bags of cement and the company has been ordered to sell all the cement to consumers
The Ministry recently issued a strong warning against hoarding of cement and other essential commodities as they deprive Malawians and are often responsible for price hikes on the market.
Meanwhile, President Chakwera acknowledged Mchinji’s role as one of the nation’s breadbaskets, noting that agricultural productivity in the district has recently been affected by unfavourable climate conditions.
“Mchinji relies on agriculture, but the rains have not been good in recent years. We want to promote irrigation farming and support programmes such as the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF).
“As government, we are also making sure that fertiliser is affordable. In fact, plans are already underway to establish a fertiliser manufacturing company right here in Malawi,” he said.
On his whistle-stop tour of Dowa, Chakwera pledged that the NEEF will be turned into a government-owned fully-fledged bank to provide soft loans to women and youths at lower interest rates to enable them to start businesses and contribute to the growth of the national economy.
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“Through the initiative, we aim to reach as many people as possible, even those that were not reached under NEEF programs,” he said, adding that NEEF has so far distributed over K300 billion in loans.
Acknowledging Mchinji as a major agricultural district, the MCP torchbearer for the September 16 presidential election noted that climate change has affected rainfall patterns, impacting farming and he pledged that the NEEF will continue supporting irrigation schemes to mitigate these challenges.
MCP’s aspiring Member of Parliament for Mchinji South Constituency, Agnes Nkusankhona, outlined some of the projects that have been implemented in her area under Chakwera’s administration — that included construction of bridges, hostels, market sheds, and an ICT laboratory through CDF, GESD, and other funding windows.
The President also expressed his happiness that persons with albinism are now living in a safer country after he symbolically handed over houses to persons with albinism in Mchinji, saying the gesture reflects his government’s commitment to their welfare.
“Persons with albinism have suffered for a long time in this country, but under my administration, that is no longer the case. We are constructing these houses across the country,” said Chakwera, while urging all Malawians to protect people with any kind of disability.
Mchinji currently has three such houses, all equipped with steel doors and one of the recipients, Getrude Ulaya of Tembwe, said the houses provide them with much-needed security.—Edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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