By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, April 17, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera  has urged Malawians to be patriotic by investing in businesses that will increase incomes, and contribute to the country’s economy.

The President said this on Thursday during the launch of  the Coca-Cola Beverages Malawi Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Line in Lilongwe, where he commended the company for its contribution towards Malawi’s economy.

He said the establishment comes at a time when Malawi is looking at its efforts in achieving  Malawi’s 2063 Vision of industrialization.

“Let me encourage all Malawians to take an example from the company, let’s invest in businesses that will generate incomes and contribute to the economic development of the country,”he said. 

The Malawi Leader has expressed concern over misuse of public funds by some citizens, saying it is crippling the country's economic growth.

In his remarks, Managing Director for Coca-Cola Beverages Malawi Limited, Neil French, said, they have invested about $14.9 million for the PET line, which produces 19,200 bottles per hour, to create job opportunities and help on foreign exchange challenges.

He said the PET line will help the company stop importing products from other countries as they now have the source to manufacture in the country.

“Establishing a local bottling line will help us to save on importing plastic bottles as we previously used to import them from Zambia; but now the costs have been reduced because we are going to be producing ourselves ,” French said

He added that the newly opened investment will create more jobs for youth and women as a way of improving the economic environment of the nation.

“The introduction of new technologies at the plant has created opportunities for Coca-Cola staff to be trained as our goal is to create opportunities across the value chain,”said French.

Minister of Trade and Industry Eng. Vitumbiko Mumba, has described the  PET line as a significant step in promoting local made products.

“While others claimed that investors would not come to Malawi due to unstable economic environment, Coca-Cola has invested in this plant and it is on course to create jobs for Malawians," said Mumba.

The minister further said the  recent import restrictions imposed by the government over the past two months has helped much in improving the local market as suppliers are securing local food supplying contracts.

Coca-Cola Beverages Malawi Limited (CCBML) is a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, Lesotho, Malawi among others.