President Joyce Banda rightly themed her State of the Nation Address in Parliament on February 8 "Unity of Purpose Towards Economic Recovery". I may not agree with some of the content in the speech but I must say that the title was well chosen as that is what the country needs if the much touted economic recovery can indeed become a reality.

I have come to believe that President Joyce Banda is far removed from realities of the harsh times that we are going through in this country.

The local media was two weeks ago awash with stories about the critical situation in the government hospitals where patients are said to be dying from curable diseases due to shortage of drugs.

The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) is not among the best institutions when it comes to communication with the general public.

There is one but very important lesson running across the cases of disqualified candidates of Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and the firing of Flames coaching panel of Kinnah Phiri, Young Chimodzi and Jack Chamangwana.

Like many writers and commentators have already done, let me also offer my congratulations to the Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) and the Malawi government for the peaceful and successful demonstrations that were held on January 17 when consumers expressed themselves on issues of their concern.

President Joyce Banda once said and I quote: "Sindiziwa enanu koma enafe tili ndi ma lawyer mnyumba", literary translated as "I don't know about others, but some of us have lawyers right in the house".

Let me begin by apologising to ardent followers of this column who missed it on Monday last week. I offer my sincere apologies to you all.

It is everyone's knowledge that inflation, which is the general rise in the prices of goods and services, has been on the rise since the devaluation and depreciation of the Kwacha, driven mostly by the prices of food items and movements in the exchange rate, as shown in the figure below. In November 2012 this rate stood at 33.3 percent.

It's very special and it won't happen in the next few years for the day when this column comes out to fall on Christmas day.

Following last week's Business Thumbs in which I expressed my reservations on the Consumers Association of Malawi – Cama's planned demonstrations in January, the association's Executive Director John Kapito took time to respond to the article:

I had developed an almost obduracy revulsion of politics in the country owing to the bigotry with which the previous administration suppressed free speech and criticism.

Consumer Association of Malawi (Cama) Executive Director John Kapito is one gifted activist who is never short of words and action. A trained economist himself, he argues matters of the economy and social politics with so much knowledge and passion that he leaves you with no doubt that he was really born to be a fighter for the consumer and the less privileged.

Dear Joyce,

I am writing hoping that my August letter to you found you in good health. November is folding her mat ready to go to give room to December, yet you have not responded to my letter.

Carlsberg's new face

In times of economic hardships like now, it is very rare to hear good news from companies, especially in the manufacturing sector. Things associated with the corporate world in such situations would usually be terminology such as supply shortages, down-sizing, closure, restructuring, retrenchments, streamlining, re-orientation and the likes.

It therefore came as a pleasant surprise recently to hear Carlsberg Malawi announcing the re-branding of its beer bottles. Carlsberg beers are now looking more sleekly and comparable with even those brands imported from South Africa or Europe.

For a long time, I have wondered why Carlsberg Malawi cannot export its beer products into the regional market. Why should imbibers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania or Mozambique drink Carlsberg beer imported from Denmark? What is wrong with our Carlsberg beers?

I would like to believe that the improved packaging of the Carlsberg beers is a step-forward towards an export drive of Malawi made Carlsberg beers at least into the southern and eastern African regional markets.

The next thing should probably be another look at the taste of our beers by the master brewers at Carlsberg Malawi. The question the company needs to ask is that apart from being a status symbol, why do some Malawian imbibers prefer foreign brands? This is probably a subject for another day. For now, let's just say cheers to our new look and attractive Ndirande-made beers. That certainly calls for a Carlsberg. Thumbs up Carlsberg Malawi.

Wake up call for Paladin

A few weeks ago, I published on this column a letter I sent to Paladin Energy's Managing Director John Borshoff in which I complained about the company's lack of respect for Malawians through their non-responsiveness to media queries from Malawi.

A few weeks ago, some two courageous community groups in Karonga, where Paladin Africa operates the Kayelekera Uranium Mine, organised protests against the company's unfulfilled social responsibility promises as well as its failure to support local businesses and farmers through its preference for imported items for its food and other provisions.

To put the record straight, Kayelekera is an important project in the country which every Malawian should be proud of as it is significant not only for job creation, government revenue contribution and foreign currency earnings but also as a flagship foreign direct investment in the country which can encourage other international corporations to consider investing in Malawi.

However, the perception about the company among Malawians is not positive not because the people just don't like the investment but because of the way management of the company has conducted itself since their establishment.

Despite their profile as an established company from a developed and democratic country, Australia, where corporation operates based on acceptable corporate governance principles such as transparency and accountability, Paladin Energy's image in Malawi is that of a closed, secretive, agrarian and mysterious giant that has ring-fenced itself as a foreign island within Malawi.

For example, apart from employees and senior government officials, which other Malawians can claim to have set their foot in the Kayelekera Mine complex in Karonga?

Can't the company organise study tours for primary, secondary and university students at the company to enable them appreciate the business of mining uranium in their own country?

Can't the company invite journalists and civil society leaders to visit its operations and engage with management in seminar like sessions where comprehensive information would be provided complete with question and answer sessions?

The protest which failed to take place against the company a few weeks ago should serve as a wake-up call to the company about the intense negativity of its business among Malawians.

Their stated commitment to uphold transparency and accountability about the Kayelekera Uranium Mine is not enough. They need to demonstrate that actively and walk the talk. Otherwise, they should expect more resentment and civil action in the coming years as Malawians are no longer a passive society that sits back and watch helplessly when other people are exploiting their resources over their heads in the name of foreign investment. Thumbs down Paladin Energy.

Feedback

'Thumbs down

to Limbe Police'

Dear Thom,

Can you please give a thumbs-down to the Limbe Traffic Police through your helpful column. Minibuses are terrorising all other drivers in Limbe because of traffic policemen's failure to control their unruly behaviour. They stop, wait and pick passengers at the traffic lights around Standard Bank right in the eyes of traffic officers. The lights will turn green, then red ...then green..it doesn't bother them! Meanwhile, all other road users either have to just wait, honk or form another queue to pass them on the left. This should not happen in a city like Blantyre. Something is seriously wrong with the traffic police cops in Limbe. Corruption perhaps?

Kings Gadama

Via Facebook

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The role of education needs not to be overemphasized; it manifests itself in any organised nation.

Like any rich economy, Malawi has resources to enable potential growth. However, the country is perceived of lacking strenuous and sustainable policies and efforts towards addressing the economic issues.

The convenience of food shortages

Whatever justification she may want to present, President Joyce Banda has no basis whatsoever for personally going around the country and distributing food handouts to the people. It's obvious the president just wants to score political points among the rural folks but the cost of her political strategy is just too much for the tax-payer.

I mean the job of distributing relief maize belongs to the Department of Disaster Management through District Commissioners. Not the president. The president's job is to champion policy and ensure its implementation but not directly doing the actual job on the ground. Her active participation in food distribution should have ended at the launch stage. She should then have gone back to the office and continue pushing her ministers and other officials from behind the scenes to make sure it was being done efficiently and effectively.

While her going around the districts would please the few beneficiaries who would directly receive a bag from her and appear on some pictures at State House, the majority of the population is not pleased at all and are beginning to interpret the food handout criss-crossing by the president as defiance and arrogance.

By the way, the president seems to have found the 'food shortage' so favourable that she does not want to hear anyone who says the situation seems to have been exaggerated a bit. I mean when one hears the PP machinery talking about the hunger situation in the country, you would think that the maize that is being distributed has actually been imported.

The truth though is that the maize is coming from our silos. And experts are even saying that when some maize has been taken out of the reserves, local traders are still able to supply more grain to replenish the stocks, a clear sign that there are parts of the country that have enough or even excess maize.

Instead of the president wasting our money gallivanting around at the pretence of distributing maize, some of which could actually be going to people without food problems or even mere party followers ferried from districts afar, the government machinery should put their energy in improving maize supplies to areas which have been identified by experts to be critically short of maize.

Although people are talking about other people's inability to purchase maize due to high prices, improved supplies of maize on the market by Admarc and the National Food Reserve Agency could actually help in bringing down or at least controlling the prices. Besides, the government has other social support programmes such as the public works or the cash-transfer schemes which could be used to support those families in dire straits to earn some cash and buy the maize.

For once madam president, listen to the voice of reason and slow down on both maize distribution and general country-wide criss-crossing. Thumbs down Ma'am.

Feedback

Karonga airport too

Dear Thom,

I read your article in The Daily Times of Tuesday, November, 13, 2012 on Chileka Airport.

A fortnight ago, I attended a funeral in Karonga and we passed by Karonga Airport. I had an opportunity of getting in as I asked for a washroom. What I saw was very pathetic. The airport itself looks good as it is mainly used by Keyelekera but the chairs are worn out and I asked myself that does government want Kayelekera to buy chairs for the airport?

I really do not know what picture new Paladin officers have of Malawi when they see the worn out chairs. Can you also please write something on these so that government should really do something? Otherwise we give a bad picture of our country.

Regards

Annie Lisuwali

Cape Maclear in pathetic state

Just read your Business Thumbs and I agree totally that our tourism infrastructure needs to be completely overhauled.

The other day I went to Cape Maclear after a number of years, and decided to visit 'what used to be' the Golden Sands at Lake Malawi National Park. As you may be aware, Lake Malawi National Park is probably the only park that combines aquatic and forestry attractions in this part of the world. Oh, and it is a Unesco World Heritage Site too. But if you find time, you should visit and will be shocked to see in what pathetic situation that 'jewel' is at the moment. There is also a place known as Otter Point, where you see those otters, but this time I could not site even one otter! The number of those nicely coloured fish is also dwindling, and there is no sign of life at the place. In the past, we used to have a senior parks & wildlife officer residing at the place. This time there is just one curator at the small museum and a few guards. Funny enough, when you want to visit the place, they ask you to pay an entrance fee.

If you have time, I would appreciate if you could visit this place and see for yourself. It looks like the Ministry of Tourism is still asleep!

Bernard Ambali

Just a month ago, I had a chance to have coffee several times with Atupele Muluzi, the Minister for Economic Planning and Development, at an up-market hotel in Tokyo, Japan as he and other top government officials were attending the IMF-World Bank Annual Conference.

Today November 6 is the first Tuesday of this month when the fuel pricing committee within the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) is supposed to meet and consider petroleum and foreign exchange market condition, and decide the way forward on fuel prices. My instinct and indications tell me fuel prices will be adjusted upwards after the meeting.