President Peter Mutharika has issued a stern warning against the exportation of raw mineral materials from Malawi, threatening to arrest anyone who violates the directive.
Speaking at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre during the swearing-in ceremony of two ministers and the second vice president, Mutharika emphasized the need for value addition to the country’s mineral resources, citing the potential for economic transformation just like Norway did when it discovered Oil.
According to Mutharika, the country’s mineral resources, including graphite and rutile, can generate over $500 million annually for close to 100 years, enough to establish a sovereign fund.
He expressed frustration that others buy Malawi’s raw materials here and sell them at high prices, saying that’s how much “We are being cheated.”
To address this, Mutharika has created the Ministry of Industrialization, Business, Trade, and Tourism, which will drive economic growth and create foreign exchange.
Mutharika said the ministry, led by Minister George Patridge, will ensure that Malawi benefits from tariffs and duty-free treatments introduced by the African common markets and other countries.
“I don’t want any minerals exported from this country in raw materials. I am issuing a decree today; nobody at the airport is going to allow exportation of materials in raw form. If they do, I am going to arrest them,” Mutharika stressed.
He also vowed to root out illegal miners in Namizimu forest in Mangochi district saying the days are numbered now.
He then emphasized the importance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development, which will be led by a woman, Roza Fatch Mbilizi, for the first time.
