Posted on March, 15, 2017 at 11:16 am
As the country is banking its hopes on the anticipated bumper maize yield to recover from hunger, The Daily Times has established that a syndicate of Tanzanian and Malawian business people is illegally exporting the grain to neighbouring Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
The grain is reportedly fetching better prices in East Africa, estimated to be close to K18,500 per 50 kilogramme bag, compared to around K12,000 on the local market for the same quantity.
The illegal exports are happening at a time government still has a maize export ban in place.
Ministry of Trade Spokesperson, Wiskes Nkombezi, has confirmed that the ban is still in force but concedes that the Karonga-Chitipa stretch bordering with Tanzania remains porous posing logistical challenges for law enforcers.
“Let the people tip and report culprits to police, Malawi Revenue Authority or any other law enforcing agents manning the border posts to fight smuggling,” Nkombezi said.
During its investigations, The Daily Times gathered that tonnes of the staple grain bought from Kasungu, Dowa and other parts of the country are usually kept in rented warehouses in Karonga and Chitipa districts before being smuggled out of the country at night.
For instance to the North of Karonga, the illicit traders camp at Mwasulama Village, where the maize is loaded unto boats across Mtakisi River which drains into Songwe River before connecting to Tanzania and the other parts of East Africa by road.
Sources say there is high demand for maize in East Africa.
“These are politically connected deals with big business tycoons having stakes in them. Government is paying a blind eye even though the country remains in a state of emergency due to the food shortage in the 2015/2016 agriculture year,” said a source who opted for anonymity.
The source further disclosed that some of the traders prefer the Chitipa- Kanyala route.
The Daily Times has it on authority that on March 4 2017 some of the illicit traders held a closed meeting with members of the law enforcing agencies including the police where money changed hands as way of covering up the under dealings.
But Station Officer for Karonga Police said yesterday that his officers are on the look-out for anyone flouting the maize export ban
Chief Executive Officer for Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet), Tamani Nkhono-Mvula, said in an interview yesterday that the network has heard reports of the politically connected maize deals.
He wondered why some Malawians do not want to adhere to the maize export ban which aims at safeguarding the country against food insecurity.
“Maize is a very strategic crop for Malawi. Malawi is still in a food crisis and we can’t have the luxury of exporting it when there is a huge food gap in the country, unless the Ministry of Trade assures the nation that there have been special permits to those politically connected traders,” Nkhono Mvula explained.
He then condemned the alleged corrupt practices surrounding the issue, while Mkombezi appealed to those with information to report to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson, Hamilton Chimala, declined to comment saying he is on holiday and referred us to Principal Secretary, Erica Maganga, whose mobile phone could not be reached on several attempts.
Source: The Times Group