Mutharika tells Malawians to ignore social media

The dislike of the social media by President Peter Mutharika seems to have no end in sight.

President Arthur Peter Mutharika has urged Malawians living in the United States of America not to be deceived by negative reports on social media.

Mutharika made the call during a meeting with Malawians in the US on the sidelines of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The president said Malawians in diaspora should be patriotic by promoting a positive image of their home country as one way of luring investors to Malawi.

“Think positively about your nation. Do not be misled by the negative news you hear through social media from home.

“When you promote the negative image of your country, you are not hurting me or the government, you are hurting the country by scaring away investors,” Mutharika said.

He further said it is high time Malawians spoke positively about their country, the potential it has to solve and overcome the challenges it is facing.

Malawi’s first citizen told the gathering that the economy of the country is rebounding hence creating a good environment to invest.

He further said the stability of Kwacha is one of the signs that the country’s economy is now on track.

Recently, the country’s inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) hit a single digit of 9.3 percent, the first time in more than six years, National Statistical Office (NSO) figures show.

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) had forecast that the rate of inflation will hit a single digit by December this year largely due to easing prices of food, particularly maize.

This year, Malawi produced more than 30 percent surplus in maize owing to good climatic conditions after two successive years of low output due to drought and floods.