By Solister Mogha
Plans by government to have an industrial park at Matindi area in Blantyre has excited communities under Senior Chief Kapeni.
During a community meeting organised by the Blantyre District Commissioner (DC), Bennet Nkasala and officials from the Ministry of Industry Trade and Tourism on Thursday, villagers said the coming in of the park would create jobs for many families, open up the area and attract various service providers to the area.
Abdualia Rahaman, of Jameson village said a good number of youth in the area were jobless and the park is their greatest opportunity.
“We can’t wait to have this park. Once completed, many families in Matindi will have jobs and that way, improve their wellbeing,” he said.
Bamusi Kumpita another villager from the same area said the industrial park would, apart from offering jobs to families, offer an opportunity to the youth to master some skills.
“I know that the park will be full of companies producing different products and because many of us will be employed, we will gain some skills,” he pointed out.
Government of Malawi with assistance from the African Export-Import Bank (AFRIEXIM) will, in the next five years, be implementing five major projects aimed at spurring the country’s economy.
Such big projects includes, construction of Matindi Industrial Park in Blantyre, New international airport as well as a Five star hotel in Mangochi and another industrial park at Area 55 in Lilongwe as well as construction of a Dry Port at Liwonde.
The parks which are expected to be classic will have things like factory shells and be connected to uninterrupted sources of water and electricity.
While informing the gathering, Nkasala said agriculture was no longer beneficial to the country hence government plans to industrialise the economy.
“In the days of Kamuzu we had factories and apart from people finding job, these factories helped in bringing forex. We want the same to come back and this will be possible with the industrial park,” the DC explained.
Deputy Director of Industry in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Silas Sindi said the parks and all the major projects government intends to implement would improve the country’s forex base as well as export cover.
“It’s high time we created jobs in other countries, it’s about time we create jobs for ourselves. The industrial parks will generate jobs for Malawians,” he said.
It is believed that about 100 hectares of land will be required for the park in Matindi.-MANA