President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who is in the United States of America for the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, has emphasized the need for Malawi to break free from the shackles of poverty through strategic investments.
Chakwera made the sentiments during the Malawi-Texas Business Roundtable on Sunday.
The event was organised by Time to Revive, in Dallas, Texas, on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit. President Chakwera said foreign direct investment is key to achieving Malawi’s sustainable development over exploitation.
“Malawi needs to get out of the poverty trap but only with trusted investors who are not interested in exploiting Malawi,” said the President.
The President expressed gratitude to Dr. Martin, a key figure in organising the roundtable, for his consistent support towards Malawi’s development agenda.
Touting Malawi’s potential, President Chakwera welcomed a diverse group of business leaders keen on exploring investment opportunities in priority sectors to Malawi’s growth Malawi’s dubbed ATM Strategy (Agriculture, Tourism and Mining).
“I have convened this Business Roundtable to provide a platform for you to present your companies and portfolios to my officials,” he said while emphasising his administration’s commitment to facilitating a conducive environment for investment.
Under the ATM strategy, Malawi prioritises cooperation and investment in increasing productivity through commercialisation and digitisation, enhancing value through industrialisation and promoting sustainability through climate-smart business practices.
President Chakwera said Malawi is actively collaborating with regional partners to facilitate access to emerging markets through its membership in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
President Chakwera expressed optimism that the roundtable discussions, which attracted big companies in agriculture, oil and gas and media among others, would pave the way for mutually beneficial partnerships, driving sustainable economic growth and development in Malawi.
In his remarks, Dr. Martin, Founder of Time to Revive, expressed excitement about the Malawian leader’s emphasis on mindset change as a fundamental aspect of realizing the Malawi 2063 vision.
“We are here to explore avenues to further our partnership in realising the Malawi 2063 Vision. Mr. President, know that you have a dedicated team here in America ready to collaborate with you,” said Martin.
“We pray in Jesus’s name that the gold, diamonds and other minerals will be revealed in Malawi to benefit the people,” he said.
