The 28th Malawi International Trade Fair - MITF will be held from Friday, 20th May to Sunday 29th May 2016 under the theme “Achieving Competitiveness Through Innovation”. 

The COMESA business council has stressed on the need for local small scale businesses to consider adding value to their products and services to offset the trade deficit Africa is facing.

As the tobacco market is still faced with low prices, Standard Bank has rolled out 'Mlimi Alirenji' promotion aimed to offer competitive exchange rates to tobacco farmers in the country.

Going around the trading centres, the markets and the streets of the country one could see the economic activities done by Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Certainly, SMEs plays significant role and highly contribute to the country’s economy.

According to the President of Economic Association of Malawi, Henry Kachaje Malawian Small and Medium Enterprises- SMEs have the potential of growing into Large scale businesses and help in the economic development of this country.

Kachaje said the SMEs in the country need enough training and fiscal discipline to develop into large businesses.

“SME have greater role to play in the economic development of the country, SMEs can also help to create jobs for many people in Malawi” said Kachaje adding that SMEs contribute significantly in the revenue base of government through taxes.

Meanwhile, the 2012 Malawi financial scoping survey on SMEs indicates that Malawi has about 760,000 small business owners generating an annual revenue of about US$ 2 billion almost MK500 billion.