Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) recently confiscated 577 cases of Zambian Chibuku Super, which local traders were smuggling into the country.
Grateful for the bust, Chibuku Products Limited (CPL) Business Development and Corporate Affairs Manager, Gloria Zimba, commended MRA. “Smuggling in an evil crime that deprives Malawi of revenue for development in several areas such as education as well as health sector and most of all it robs Malawians of the much needed jobs as companies close due to unfair competition that is created by smuggled products,” said Zimba.
Earlier this year, Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe and Homeland Security counterpart Richard Chimwendo Banda insisted that the motorcycle taxi operators are used by people in different locations, to smuggle goods.
Illovo Sugar Malawi, Chibuku and many more manufacturing companies have bemoaned the overwhelming presence of smuggled goods in the country, which their customers prefer than the goods on the common market. The companies and numerous others have posted losses in their financial statements, attributed to the influx of the smuggled goods.