Tertiary education students sitting for internationally administered examinations are being affected by the continued fall of the kwacha.
The students say the fluctuation of the kwacha is making their education more expensive.
This has also affected the enrolment of students at various colleges in the country.
Accountancy Tuition College (ATC) is one of the colleges to register a drop in student registration.
The college’s Director Happy Chirwa said the depreciation of the kwacha has seen a number HSBC shares slide FOUR companies in Mzuzu were last week fined K1 million each for continuing to sell thin plastic of less than 60 microns.
The four are Polypack, Aero Plastics, Anchor Plastics and OG Plastics.
“We have fined them because they are failing to comply with the ban to manufacture, distribute and sell thin plastics. We came here on January 29 and sensitised them on the need to stop selling the plastic.
“This was a follow up to the inspection to see if they were complying but we have seen that they are not,” said Sangwani Phiri, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining after serving the four companies with an Environmental Protection Order.
Reads the order: “Whereas following an inspection of the above cited company at its premises at Mzuzu Distribution Shop on 29th January 2016 it was found that the company was distributing prohibited thin plastics in contravention of Regulation three of the Environment Management (Plastics) Regulations, 2015 thereby contribution to the degradation of the environment.
“Therefore take notice that Polypack Mzuzu Branch is here ordered to stop selling thin plastics at its premises at Mzuzu Distribution Shop with immediate effect until such a time as the company complies with the Environment Management (Plastics) Regulations 2015.
You are ordered to pay a fine of K1,000 000.00 (One million Malawi Kwacha) within seven working days from the date of this letter. Failure to comply with the order will result in a closure order being issued against you.”
Shop manager at OG Plastic Yusuf Usman said he was still selling the plastics because they were old stock.
FINED—Usman receiving the order from a government official CHIRWA—Accountancy Tuition is now an ABE accredited institution of students failing to write their international examinations.
“This is a serious challenge at the moment and as a school we are very concerned. The fall of the kwacha is making it difficult for the students to plan accordingly,” said Chirwa. He, however, said the school has figured out a solution to the problem as it has been accredited among the schools to administer Association of Business Executives (ABE) examinations.
Chirwa said ABE carried out an assessment of the school in terms of its content and teaching guidelines.
“I am pleased to say that we have managed to satisfy ABE requirements and we have since been accepted as one of the schools to administer their examinations locally.
“This means that students registered under ABE studying at ATC will be paying lower rates as compared to those studying on their own or who will just come to sit for the ABE examinations,” he said.
He further said apart from offering hope to the financially struggling students, the ABE accreditation will also benefit the nation.
Chirwa said students under the programme will be professionally trained and will contribute positively towards the economic growth of the country.
