Minister of Trade and Industry, Mark Kasonga Phiri, has given Illovo Sugar Malawi, which is the biggest manufacturer of sugar, seven days ultimatum to address scarcity of sugar in the country.
Kasonga Phiri gave the ultimatum on Saturday after touring Illovo Sugar Malawi Factory and Estate at Nchalo in Chikwawa district. He said Illovo Sugar Managing Director and his team will have to face the cabinet if they fail to address sugar scarcity within the time frame.
“My Ministry is giving Illovo Sugar Malawi seven days to produce and supply enough sugar on the domestic market; failing which the Managing director and his management will have to appear before the cabinet to explain,” said Kasonga Phiri
On his part, Illovo Malawi Managing Director, Lekani Katandula, said the company has started oversupplying the market in order to ensure that enough sugar is available on the domestic market.
Katandula said the company is now able to supply over 660 tonnes of sugar, which is above normal supply.
According to Katandula, as of Friday Illovo managed to supply 700 tonnes of sugar on the domestic market.
Illovo Malawi, which is one of two sugar producers operating in the country, supplies more than 60% of its total sugar sales into the domestic consumer and industrial markets, and a portion of the balance exported regionally within the sub-continent.
