Category Archives: Business

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Business

Malawi must criminalize corruption if ever it is to develop

Special Absalom 1 Comment

Malawi must criminalize corruption if ever it is to develop

By Saunders Jumah

The power and benefits of democracy have been compromised in Malawi not because of citizens’ ignorance or myopia over the true meaning or encyclopedic understanding of democracy and the rule of law, but because of corruption.

If corruption is completely rooted out from the hearts of citizens, including and especially its leaders, Malawi will be a better place and paradise on the planet Earth.

Knowing that the practice has no penal code under security agencies such as Police Service, and other arms, particularly and especially that it is connected with the nerves of State and politics, there will no way this practice can be stopped unless the practice is criminalized.

This is the reason we call upon the three arms of the Malawi Government and the fourth arm, which are the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, and Media, to consider enacting laws that will criminalize corruption.

We are aware the powerful branch of estate of the Executive is benefiting a lot from this practice, it will be impossible for the Government to recommend or advocate even consider criminalizing a system that gives them more and absolute power and wealth.

Mindful of this, we call upon civil society institutions, the international community, the Media, and citizens to advocate and pressurize for the enactment of a law to criminalize corruption.

The MAENGA Group and all social media groups, call for a Referendum for citizens to vote for the law that must criminalize corruption.

When this law is adopted, few greedy and selfish people will join politics. As it is, individuals in Malawi join politics, or establish political bases with one purpose: that of “stealing through corrupt practices,” that go unpunished because of the lack of such a law.

Fine and good men and women that are true leaders, have chosen to be on the bench, leaving crooks and pundits to scavenge for political positions because they are vultures that prey on tax payers money for their greed.

Politics of Malawi and Africa, will attract fine and abled men and women only if and when the laws to criminalize corruption are adopted.

This is the only way Malawi will wean crooked, thieving, and looting politicians who leave their professions to join politics so that they can become instant billionaires.

If politics of Malawi evolve into “servant leaders,” the likes of Peter Mutharika could not surrender the Green Card from the United States of America to come and seek for a salary of a president in a poor nation like Malawi. Corruption is the only incentive that coerced and seduced him to return back home and join politics. (His works bear witness to this.)

What his brother did by building Ndatha Mansion and acquiring MK92 billion, envied him to come back to do the same. It is no wonder he is building exactly the same complex like that of his brother. He has worked 40 years outside Africa, just as his brother, but never had money to build a “hut or a three bedroom house,” where did he get money in three years to build a villa?

Before the 2019 House of Parliament must promulgate a bill that must be presented to be a law criminalizing corruption or else by June 2018 hold a Referendum called for citizens to vote YES against corruption.

Criminalization of corruption must have stiff sentence like the death penalty, so that all thieves must be scared to join politics.

This is the time to bring real politicians who will be servant leaders and develop Malawi from the shame we are now living in.

Saunders Jumah the Utopian is the of Malawi Engagement Group(MAENGA)

The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor of the Maravi Post

Business

The Credit Crisis in Malawi

MaraviPost
Credit in malawi
Credit Crisis in Malawi

According to recent reports, only 12 percent of households in Malawi have access to credit. With 65 percent of the population living under the poverty line, the rural population is especially vulnerable to the limitations of credit. As a result, Malawians are desperately seeking saving facilities, payment services, and access to credit in order to build assets and increase their income. However, many barriers impeded their path.

What Prevents Access to Financial Services

Malawi’s rural poor are excluded from formal financial sectors for many different reasons. Addressing some of these issues can help determine the path forward.

  • Lack of Physical Access:One of the biggest problems is that financial institutions are centered in urban cities. Since there are few roads and insufficient transportation in rural areas, it is physically impossible for some Malawians to get to physical banks or financial service centers.
  • High Interest Rates:The cost of financial services is one of the major obstacles that impede access to credit. Interest rates on commercial loans in Malawi are much higher than in the Southern African Development Community region. Estimates for rates range from 20-40 percent and some quote it as high as 55 percent. These rates are too high for the average Malawian farmer.
  • Lack of Information:There is a lack of information to alternative financing options across the population. Therefore, many people in rural areas are not aware of any other ways to access credit or to increase their credit score.

What Can Be Done

In today’s modern age, a physical bank is no longer needed to conduct financial services. Virtual and automated banking is expected to replace 30 percent of bank roles in the next ten years. These virtual banks even the playing field for Malawians by allowing consolidated rates, 24/7 access to services, and a location for information about other services. Some of these alternative, virtual services include:

  • Personal Loans:These loans have better payment schedules and can sometimes have lower interest rates than financial institutions. Personal loan lenders can also report your payment history to credit reporting agencies so that you can also build your credit score while paying off the loan. With a definitive schedule for repaying a loan, personal loans can even be more manageable than credit card debts. To find a personal loan, Malawians can use search sites such as this example from Finland.
  • Peer to Peer Loans:Rather than receiving a loan from a financial institution, peer to peer loans allow people to receive a loan directly from an individual financer. In order to apply for a loan, you must visit a peer to peer lending platform such as Prosper or Perform, and the online marketplace will match borrowers and lenders. Although the site still uses credit scores, individuals may have more sympathy towards you and your situation as opposed to a national bank.
  • Crowdfunding:Another way to finance an opportunity is through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a fairly recent innovation that utilizes crowdsourcing as a way to raise funds for a project or business. In order to crowdfund, you simply outline your project or business and start a campaign on a crowdfunding site such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

The change in financial technologies in the coming years will have a great impact in Malawi, and create more access to services for the entire population.

Agriculture

FISP coupon price raised by 100 percent for 2017-2018 growing season

Special Absalom

Minister of Agriculture, Joseph Mwanamveka. said that government has raised this year’s FISP coupon price by 100 percent. He said this on Thursday during the launch of 2017-2018 Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP).

According to Mwanamveka, the FISP coupon will now be sold at K6,000.00, up from K3,00.00 last year.

He said this decision was taken in accordance with a directive fron President Peter Mutharika.

“This is a Presidential directive and all beneficiaries should prepare for that,” he said.

According to thr minister, the 2017-2018 programme is expected to reach out to 900,000 families.

He said government has already intensified security measures regarding the implementation of the programme.

“Should we find anyone engaged in a malpractice regarding FISP, we will make sure they are dealt with in accordance with the law,” he said.

Government will subside NPK and UREA fertilizers in 50 kg bags from K15,000 to K6,000, 5kg bag of maize seed or sorghum from K6,000 and 2 kilogrammes of legume seed to K2,050.

Business

TNM 4 G/LTE scoops Innovative Award

MaraviPost
TNM - Saulos Chilima
Congratulations Vice President Saulos Chilima presenting award to TNM employee

Blantyre, October 18, 2017  TNM plc is honored to be awarded by the Information Communication Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM) as the “Most Innovative Technology Company” in the country at the 2017 Innovations Awards by the Malawi ICT umbrella body.

TNM scooped the award for its ground-breaking and pioneering roll-out of the Fourth Generation/Long-Term Evolution (4G/LTE) mobile internet products, which has revolutionised internet and broadband speeds in Malawi. Continue reading TNM 4 G/LTE scoops Innovative Award →

Business, Lifestyle

Malawi Government to create 10,000 jobs for the youth promises APM

Malawi News Agency (MANA)
Malawi Youth
Malawi Government to create 10,000 jobs for the youth promises APM

President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika this week said his government will soon create over 10,000 jobs with the aim of uplifting lives of the youths in Malawi.

 

Mutharika made the remarks on Saturday when he graced the Golden Jubilee of St. Kalemba, Bangula Catholic Parish of the Diocese of Chikwawa. Continue reading Malawi Government to create 10,000 jobs for the youth promises APM →

Agriculture, Business

African Finance ministers endorse ACET call for transformation of African agriculture to drive growth

MaraviPost
Kofi Annan Foundation
Kofi Annan joins finance ministers in endorsing ACET call for transformation of African agriculture to drive growth

Agriculture can power the economic transformation of African countries, according to a new report from the Ghana-based African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), founded by former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, K.Y. Amoako. The report has been backed by African finance ministers and will be launched at the World Bank Annual meetings today.

Modernising African agriculture will require policies to boost farm productivity and strengthen the sector’s links with the rest of the economy. To achieve this, African countries must overhaul their land tenure systems and support farmers by making new technologies accessible, reducing business risk and educating them as business people. These reforms could trigger an economic transformation with benefits far beyond the sector, stimulating growth in manufacturing and related services, whilst driving down food prices and raising disposable incomes. Continue reading African Finance ministers endorse ACET call for transformation of African agriculture to drive growth →

Business

Three Education Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2018

Maravi Post Reporter

A recent survey by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs revealed that 89%of B2Bs had adopted the use of content marketing. These businesses also reported that the methods they chose were more efficient compared with the previous year. Email, content, and SEO marketing are among the trends that successful organizations have adopted. They had to adopt them if they were to stay ahead of the competition and have the market. We have the internet to thank for the revolution in how businesses do marketing.

These trends change just as fast as they are implemented. Therefore, businesses need to keep up to date with them.

Continually educating yourself is an important step, realize that education is a tool meant to empower us! Success in content marketing squarely lies on the quality of the content, developing a working strategy, having a target market audience, and finally allocating ample time to content marketing.

These trends incorporate these factors so as to be useful in marketing.

Any marketer will experience challenges trying to keep updated with all the trends flooding the marketing scene now and then, and that is why we took the time to identify 3 education marketing trends to keep an eye on in 2018. They will assist you to know whether you are at par with your competitors or are on the wrong path.

Go Live! Go Big! With Video

Technology has changed the learning process. Learning is less time-consuming, and fun compared to a century back. Technology changed it all. Transforming content to video online is one trend that’s catching on. A lot of people are watching videos and have a preference for them.

The use of video in learning has transformed education and improved student performance. What makes video an even better option is the fact that it’s also available on mobile devices, which are easy to access compared to PCs. Majority of learning institutions, especially colleges and universities have a YouTube presence.

This just goes to show how much important video has become in education.

Social media apps such Facebook, YouTube, SnapChat, and Instagram, have incorporated video and for a good reason. Take a good example of Facebook Live, which is available to all while YouTube keeps working on and improving its live functionality. This is because the video is among the most embraced modes of communicating by most millennials.

The video is fun, entertaining to watch but at the same time an effective means of delivering your message to the audience. It is not only fun for the audience to watch, but also fun to make.

People have an affinity for the unexpected; they will, therefore, prefer live stories and video. Live video gives your marketing content a sense of authenticity.

2. Content needs to be Relevant and Personalized to Appeal to Prospects

Among the first lessons that you’ll learn in marketing is how much weight content carries in digital marketing. Content needs to be worked on and tailored to appeal to your audience. Content needs to be personalized. Take web experiences, for instance, almost all social media sites and online marketing campaigns have been customized to our needs and preferences.

Educational platforms need to personalize content if they are to stand out from the rest.

Content needs to be unique and original. Although this has been around for a while, now more than ever, audiences are craving fresh and informative content.

To create exclusive material, you’ll need to use interesting writing prompts. Remember that the goal is to appeal and keep audiences ‘hooked on’. Your prospects need a valid reason to go through your content.

Email is one way to personalize, but that was in the past. Whenever prospects visit your website, they can view the content that they have an interest in. This is one way of tailoring content.

It’s possible because you can now analyze their online behavior and be able to identify what they prefer. Afterwards, you’ll deliver the content to them, or what they see on your website will be based on that.

The blogs and links prospects will have a preview to will all be on the basis of the analysis that you had done beforehand. Take advantage of such reports; it’s only after you’ve understood your audience’s behavior that you will be able to create targeted content which is more effective. You’ll have to watch the following when it comes to content:
Poor quality and irrelevant content – gives your brand a negative image
Misdirected or Plain content – will undermine your organization’s name.

Instead, create relevant, unique, informative and original content that will help boost the image and of your organization.

3. Social Media Apps Dominate Social Networking

Want to spread the word, get into social media and start typing. When it comes to social networking, social media sites are the solution. The number of messages shared across such platforms is over a billion annually.

Before you can analyze prospects, think of yourself. Almost all of us have signed up for a number of these platforms. For a marketer, these social media sites go beyond the value of mere socialization, they are an avenue for generating leads and traffic.

Social media sites have increased in number over the years. As of 2017, the most popular sites that are a favorite for marketers include:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Google+
Pinterest
Snapchat
WhatsApp
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Periscope

These are just a few in a long list of sites. Education across the globe has been in one way or another been affected by these apps including how schools communicate with students.

Sites such as Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook, have tailored platforms just meant for advertisers. When you create content in a format that appeals to your readers and is favorable for your chosen platform, you’re likely to be more successful in your educational marketing.

Students are drawn so much to these social sites and colleges can maximize on the opportunity by posting their content on these sites to reach their intended audience.

However, caution needs to be exercised, a small misstep and your marketing campaign will have a negative impact. Therefore, work on the content before posting them on these sites.

Conclusion

All organizations require a documented content marketing strategy. In this era when almost every aspect of our lives has gone digital, education marketing trends have not been left behind either. Learning institutions have realized the value of the online world, despite their initial hesitance in going digital.

Education, as earlier stated, is a tool meant to empower. As we work on appealing to prospects, this should be central in the content.

Content needs to be targeted to have the desired effect. Package content into the video! The video is the new trend social messaging and learning institutions are not being left behind either.

The pain that marketers have to deal with is the constantly changing trends – they always have to be in the know. However, certain aspects remain the same, for example, tailoring content while maintaining its originality and packaging the material (with the video being the way to go). Finally, it’s vital to choose which social sites to use to deliver your content.

Share with us which marketing trends have worked for you. Different methods have varied effects depending on various factors. Learning about how others have gone about this might help you in tailoring yours.

Lori Wade is a content writes on a wide range of spheres from education and online marketing to entrepreneurship. She’s a regular Maravi Post contributor.

Business

TNM 4 G/LTE scoops Innovative Award

Maravi Post Reporter

TNM plc is honored to be awarded by the Information Communication Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM) as the “Most Innovative Technology Company” in the country at the 2017 Innovations Awards by the Malawi ICT umbrella body at an event over the weekend.

TNM scooped the award for its ground-breaking and pioneering roll-out of the Fourth Generation/Long-Term Evolution (4G/LTE) mobile internet products, which has revolutionised internet and broadband speeds in Malawi.

In accepting the award, TNM Acting Chief Executive Officer Eric Valentine said; “We are humbled that our decision to invest in 4G/LTE continues to be noticed as an important contribution to the country’s ICT sector and overall, the Malawi economy.”

Valentine said the award will inspire TNM to continue pioneering innovative and integrated mobile network and ICT services that respond to the needs of customers.

Making the announcement during ICTAM Innovation Forum in Mangochi, the judges ranked TNM highly as an important driver of Malawi’s sustained development through its cutting edge innovative offerings in the internet mainly to do with the newly launched 4.5G/LTE offerings.

Malawi’s Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima attended the Innovation Forum.

This is the second time for TNM’s ground-breaking work through the 4G/LTE network platform to be recognised and singled out for praise.

In 2016, the London-based Capital Finance International (CFI.co) awarded TNM as the best mobile operator in the South Eastern Africa region for the technology, which it described as an “important driver of Malawi’s sustained development through its cutting edge innovative offerings in the internet space.”

The Maravi Post heartily congratulate TNM plc dor thaward from the Information Communication Technology Association of Malawi (ICTAM) as the “Most Innovative Technology Company” in the country.

Business, Education

Standard Bank Ladies to inspire girls

Maravi Post Reporter

Lilongwe- In its quest to inspire and encourage girls in Malawi to continue with education, Standard Bank this week invited girl children to the Bank on October 11, 2017.

This is in addition to the girl mentorship program that the Bank is carrying out in partnership with the United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF), whose objective is to encourage girls continue with their education.

Standard Bank Acting Chief Executive Temwani Simwaka, said the mentoring sessions have been organised as part of International Day of the Girl Child commemoration, which falls on October 11 every year.

“In commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, we are inviting girl children from Standard 6 to Form 4 to spend a day with a mentor. The Bank has a deep pool of talented female employees who are experts in various fields. Through this approach, we hope our girls will be motivated to remain in school and aim high in life.” said Simwaka.

Simwaka said the registered child will spend four hours at the selected branches in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu, and urged parents to take this opportunity by registering the girl child.

“We believe such initiatives inspire girls to work hard in class in order to realise their dreams. Since last year we have been running a Girl Mentorship program in partnership with UNICEF whose goal is to keep the girl child in school; and we believe together we will move forward and build Mother Malawi.” she said.

She noted that the Mentorship program is a major Corporate Social Investment that the bank is undertaking.

“These women leaders of the bank would like to instil a positive ‘can-do’ attitude in the girls so that they are able to break mental barriers to success,” she said.

The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls
Latest statistics in Malawi indicate that out of more than half of a total 4.5 million children enrolled in government primary schools, 57 percent of the girls drop out, leaving only 34 percent transitioning to secondary school and 9% fail and remain in primary school.

Business, Sports

Veteran business tycoon ‘Mwanyongo’ tips youths on entrepreneurship

Maravi Post Reporter

By Bright Mfune

Renowned Malawi’s business tycoon Daniel Chitonya Mwanyongo who is the owner of Interline Bus Company has called for more resources to be channeled towards entrepreneurship as a strategy of eliminating unemployment among the country’s youth.

Mwanyongo who is also the shadow legislature for Malawi Congress party (MCP) in Karonga Northwest Constituency explained that if more resources were channeled into entrepreneurship, Malawi Youths will stand the chance to benefit.

Mwanyongo said this yesterday when visited the community in the constituency.

He also asked the youths across the country to wake up and think of how to create a jobs rather than depending on getting employed.

“The increase of youths unemployment is due to lack of resources especially on the entrepreneurship. There is a need to channel more resources on entrepreneurship in order to eradicate youths unemployment,” said Mwanyongo.

He then assured the community that he will not misuse the public funds , when they voted for him as their legislature in 2019.

“Now the time has come for Karonga Northwest constituency to see development. You have been crying and complaining that your elected leaders have been or are misusing the public fund. However, I want to assure you that this will be a history when i take the seat,” he added.

In strive to ensure hat the youths are active in their communities , Mwanyongo is also promoting youth sports in the area by sponsoring under 14 football team called, Chipuka.