Blantyre Shadow MP ‘Richard Makondi’ Bemoans Business Operating Environment for Small-scale Traders

By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza

The United Transformation Movement(UTM) shadow member of Parliament for Chilomoni, Kabula, Nancholi and Manyowe consistency Richard Makondi has expressed concern with the unconducive business operating environment for Blantyre city vendors, a development which he said was responsible for derailing efforts to uplift their lives and economic development of the country.

Makondi said this in Blantyre on Thursday during an inspection tour to appreciate how small escape businesses were fairing in some market areas around the city.

Makondi observed that poor business operating environment were also making many many small scale traders to close shops, hence, the levels of poverty, joblessness and crime in the city.

“We need to say the truth that many businesses have collapsed over the past years due to high cost of taxes, rentals, high loan interest rates and many more. These have in turn resulted in high rates of poverty joblessness and crimes,” he said.

Makondi said the constituency has many development projects that have stalled for the past five years due to diversion of funds.

The shadow member of Parliament mentioned the Blantyre city car park and shopping mall development project as some of the projects whose progress stalled years ago.

During the tour, the aspirant assured the traders of changing the status quo once he is voted as the member of Parliament for the newly demarcated constituency.

Makondi said he is set to roll out various programs aimed at transforming the lives of the Blantyre city vendors amidst the economic challenges prevailing in the country.

The UTM shadow candidate will face the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) candidate Noel Lipipa and the Malawi congress party( MCP) candidate Charles Joshi, among others.