The Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) will be holding its annual exporters seminar today at the Bingu wa Mutharika International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

According to MITC’s Deliby Chimbalu Public Relations Manager, the annual seminar is one way of the MITC’s efforts to build export readiness for potential and existing exporters, create export awareness and to strengthen market linkages. In a press statement, it has been announced that this year’s theme is‘Promoting diversified, competitive and value-added exports’, the 2019 exporters’ as the seminar is aimed at building capacity of potential and existing exporters by equipping them with skills in exhibition management and development of export plans.

Issues concerning the export sector will be addressed at the seminar, as the statement reads, “MITC has identified some key challenges impeding export growth in Malawi which include but not limited to lack of expert knowledge in developing export plans, access to finance, poor preparation and management of trade exhibitions and lack of capacity for sustained production.”

While the meeting is in progress, the five-year Nation Export Strategy (NES) that closed in 2018, has been called a fail, during its review by stakeholders and involved players in the sector. During the review Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Officer Chancellor Kaferapanjira attributed the fail to a trade deficit of $1.1 billion, as exports in 2018 are $1.1 billion, which was lower than in 2012 when exports were at $1.47 billion. A new strategy which will run from 2019-2022 has been implemented, having learnt from the prior strategy.