By Evance Chisiano

Blantyre, May 1, Mana: Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism on Friday toured Chigumula Industrial Park in Blantyre’s Traditional Authority Kapeni area where a contractor is currently working on interior road network on a 22.7 hectare of land for the construction of factory shells for light industries.

Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee, Arthur Chipungu, led committee members to the park to appreciate the work and said the committee was impressed with the pace on interior roads construction.

“We came to appreciate progress at Chigumula Industrial Park and so far we are satisfied with the work here,” added Chipungu, who pledged that the committee will continue to lobby for more support to the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) to fulfill its mandate of promoting and facilitating trade investment.

Deputy Director for Industry Silas Sindi commended the committee for taking special interest on Special Economic Zone Programme which facilitates industrial parks development at Chigumula, Matindi in Blantyre, Dunduzu in Mzuzu and another industrial park in Lilongwe.

He said it was encouraging to see the parliamentary committee touring Chigumula parks, adding that this was testimony enough that the legislators want to see Malawi's economic growth through trade, industry and investment.

“Industrialization is key pillar in the Malawi 2063 Agenda. For Malawi to progress well, we need industrial parks that should help in value addition for forex generation,” he said and further asked the committee to continue touring the industrial parks to appreciate progress.

MITC Chief Executive Officer Paul Kwengwere assured the parliamentary committee of high quality and durable road network that should facilitate small and medium enterprises at Chigumula Industrial Park.

“We want to increase light industries for trade promotion. We will soon launch the industrial park here at Chigumula to market it for investors,” he added.

Senior Chief Kapeni called on MITC to speed up industrial park development for the nation to see sustainable economic development.

“Let us not allow too much bureaucracy to slow down development; people want to see development,” said the senior chief in reference to delays at Matindi industrial Park where no development took place due to unpaid compensations.

Before touring Chigumula, the parliamentary committee was at Matindi where Grievance Redress Mechanism Committee complained of government's delay in compensating people who are supposed to pave way for the development of Matindi Industrial Park.