The Malawi Tourism Council (MTC) has called on the new administration in the Ministry of Tourism to consider the requests that the council presented to the former administration during the Peter Mutharika regime.

On 26th March, the Malawi Tourism Council (MTC) had a meeting with the Department of Tourism, which is under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism. The meeting was to discuss various resolves concerning the covid-19 pandemic. While the government granted the suspension of PAYEE and Pension payments by all private tourism operators in Malawi, among other resolutions, it was announced that the government was to respond to more incentives by MTC, but there was a dead silence.

4 months further there a new regime, administration and cabinet, MTC has called upon the new ministry of tourism for waivers from government, including reviewing some labour laws and other policy measures to save the industry from constraints caused by the pandemic. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, MTC board chairperson Tim van der Linden said the country’s tourism industry will be affected for the whole year and most likely a big part of 2021; hence, the need to review some policies. Among others, MTC has called on the government to consider postponing payment for liquor, food and operating licences to the city councils and other institutions and also to consider reviewing prices of permits for local and foreign operators.