Karonga Legislature Demands Roads’ Upgrade

Mzomera: Made pledges Mzomera: Made pledges File Photo

Democratic Progressive Party parliamentarian for Karonga North, Mungasulwa Mwambande, wants government to upgrade the Ighembe-Kitwika, Songwe-Ngana, Ngerenge court-Chikutu and Pusi-Atupele roads to enhance access to produce markets and ambulances to hospitals.

The former deputy minister said this at the weekend at Karonga Freedom Park when the DPP leaders held a campaign rally ahead of the court sanctioned fresh presidential election, June 23.

“If upgraded, these roads will enable farmers transport produce such as rice to markets thereby developing people’s socio-economic growth.

“Ambulances will be able to reach these hard to reach areas as well,” he observed.

Mwambande also told the minister of Trade and Industry, Kenneth Ndovie, to plead for rice farmers empowerment through value addition in order for them to maximize profits.

In response, regional governor for the North Christopher Mzomera Ngwira assured the Parliamentarian that DPP led government will upgrade the roads in question to ease communication and spur the socio-economic development of the area.

He has since asked people in the area to vote for President Arthur Peter Mutharika on June 23.

In an interview, deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Kenneth Ndovie said indeed rice farmers need to be empowered through formation of cooperatives for them to have bargaining power for their produce.

Said Ndovie: “Government through my ministry encourages farmers to form cooperatives for them to have bargaining price voice. And right now, I am glad that cooperatives have been formed and they have received processing and packaging machines, waiting for Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to provide them with a transformer. Our role as a ministry will therefore, be to source international markets for their processed and packaged rice, Ndovie said.

Written by Jordan Simeon-Phiri, MEC stringer

 

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Last modified on Wednesday, 27/05/2020

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