By Lesnat Kenan

Lilongwe, March 18, Mana: Minister of Trade and Industry, Vitumbiko Mumba, has highlighted that restricting some imported and exported goods will foster the country's sustainable economy, as this will encourage local business and farmers to produce quality products.

Speaking at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe Monday evening, Mumba emphasized that the restriction order of some essential goods such as fresh milk, peanut butter, matches and bottled water among others is necessary for the nation's development.

He said selection of the items was done after thorough assessment of the supply capacity of local industries.

"By incentivizing local production, we are not only ensuring the availability of commodities but also creating jobs across the agricultural and manufacturing sectors,” he said.

He stated that the ministry will be engaging supermarkets such as Chipiku, Sana, Shoprite, Game Stores and KFC among other on corporate social responsibility to invest in the local agribusiness value chain by empowering existing indigenous farmers to produce to required standards.

Mumba assured Malawians that the Ministry will continue safeguarding the hard-earned foreign exchange by encouraging locally produced goods thereby building resilience of the country's economy as it aligns with the Malawi 2063.

The implementation of the order will be done through an administrative note, which will be issued by the Ministry as soon as possible. The order will expire in March, 2027.