Independent Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Likuni Constituency, Kelvin Mphande, has described as cumbersome the procedures the government is using to approve the operations of a local fertiliser company in Dowa District.

Mphande made the remarks in Parliament through a motion under Standing Order 14, which allows members to present matters of public urgency and national interest.

The legislator alleged that there are too many procedures for a local company to begin operations, while foreign-owned companies appear to face fewer requirements.

He described the standoff between Maulalo Fertiliser Company, owned by renowned businessman Napoleon Dzombe, and the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) as unfortunate, saying the country continues to spend large amounts of foreign exchange importing fertiliser.

“If this company is up and running, many young people will be employed, while the government will collect more tax revenue and save foreign exchange because the commodity will be produced locally,” said Mphande.

However, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Fatch Mbilizi said the developer failed to respond in a timely manner to concerns raised in MEPA’s initial assessment report.

Mbilizi said it took the developer more than nine months to respond to the issues raised by the authority, but noted that the review process is now underway to determine the next course of action.

“The response by the developer to the MEPA report is being reviewed, and soon the board will make its decision. I am confident that this time around the developer has addressed all the issues raised in the initial report,” said Mbilizi.

She also dismissed allegations that the company is facing delays due to political influence because it is owned by someone from the Central Region.

“By the time we came into power, MEPA was already addressing the environmental concerns surrounding the company, and this has nothing to do with the owner being Chewa. As a government, we commend the developer for the initiative, which is important for the country’s food security,” she said.