The Sugarcane Growers Association of Malawi has bemoaned lack of sanity and transparency in the sugar industry.
Sugar Growers Association of Malawi Chairperson Robert Dziweni was speaking in Lilongwe on Sunday.
According to Dziweni, the industry needs to be sanitised by enacting the Sugar Bill, which is long overdue.
He said the bill was drafted in 2014 but up to now it has not been tabled in Parliament.
Dziweni said the bill will address all the challenges the industry is facing.
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“The industry is now rocked with many challenges, including pricing, distribution of proceeds and others. But all this could be addressed with the enactment of the Sugar Bill.
“The bill proposes the creation of a regulatory body to oversee and act as a referee in the industry. Although we have been growing sugarcane for the past 58 years, we don’t have a referee,” Dziweni said.
A member of the Sugarcane Growers Association of Malawi Henry Chimunthu Banda Monday said the association cannot tell whether the price of sugar in Malawi is justified or not.
Chimunthu Banda also spoke against the issuance of the import licences for sugar, saying such a move would cripple the local industry.
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He added that with Malawi facing forex shortage such a decision would drain off the already thin forex reserves.
“In addition, it would contradict the government’s Buy Malawi Strategy,” he said.
Trade Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda was not immediately available for comment as he is reported to be outside the country.
