Government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry says business people are benefiting from the simplified Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) trade regime in the country.
Minister responsible, Sosten Gwengwe, made the remarks when he officially opened a two-day National Capacity Building Workshop for Media Practitioners in Lilongwe.
The Minister said the COMESA regional integration programme is benefiting the country to a great extent through various initiatives.
“Small cross-border traders, especially women and youths, are benefitting from the simplified COMESA trade regime where they can go and trade in and out of the COMESA countries without hustles,” said Gwengwe.
He added that Malawi has also benefited from COMESA through trainings for cross- border traders on simplified Trade Regime, upgrading of the Mchinji -Mwami One Stop Border Post (OSBP), procurement of sewing machines for Blantyre textiles cooperative at MACOHA and construction of COMESA Cross Border Market which is set to commence in July this year, among others.
He also highlighted that government is committed to ensuring that local producers have a conducive environment to conquer the local and international markets.
In his remarks, COMESA Secretariat Head of Corporate Communications, Mwangi Gakunga indicated that the media should play a big role in ensuring the masses understand the opportunities the regional integration initiatives present to the economic development of the country and the region.
Meanwhile, the training is aimed at ensuring the effective dissemination of information on the regional and national development agenda to the general public and it has been organized by COMESA in collaboration with Ministry of Trade and Industry.
