MALAWI: Vice President warns of deficiency of National Values among the citizens
Hon Saulos Chilima
The Vice President of the Republic of Malawi Hon Saulos Chilima has said that patriotism, integrity and honesty is lacking among the majority Malawian business people and he termed the situation as a cultural problem which warrants drastic change of the mindset.
The Vice President, a parishioner at St. Patricks’ Church in Lilongwe was among the participants of Catholic Men Organizations’ forum held on Sunday June 26 to deliberate on entrepreneurship.
“The cultural issue of not repaying loans from banks and other lending institutions is a big challenge in this country. Similarly, you find an indigenous Malawian failing to deliver in a contract awarded to him or her either by government or private institution; which is a very big setback to professionalism,” said the Vice President while also calling for a change of mentality.
The Vice President commended the Catholic Men Organization for organizing such forum to discuss important issues that are crucial to the development of Malawi and urged men throughout the country to emulate what the Catholic Men Organization is doing.
The aim of the forum which attracted a number of top entrepreneurs in Malawi was for deliberations on how to prosper in business, how to overcome or minimize business related challenges and also to encourage one another to consider venturing in entrepreneurship.
One of the participants said that the development of the country needs active participation of indigenous Malawians who have that sense of the welfare of their country at heart.
He however faulted the government saying that most Malawians fear venturing into businesses because there are no deliberate policies put in place to promote indigenous Malawian enterprises, the majority of which are small and medium enterprise owners.
“It is sad to say that indigenous Malawians are marginalized when it comes to awarding of business opportunities, tenders and contracts, acquisitions of land and the provision of tax incentives. Access to finance is another barrier for indigenous Malawians to mobilize capital for the operation of businesses,” he said adding that foreigners or Malawian citizens of foreign origins seems to be more favored and supported by the government to do business in the country than the locals.
By Prince Henderson, ECM Communications Officer
