Govt for Dialogue With Tobacco Buyers

Source from:  BNL Times 12/12/2011

Government has told tobacco buyers that any issue about tobacco that needs government attention can only be fixed through dialogue. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Mwanza, said many of the challenges in the industry can easily be solved through dialogue. "Let's discuss issues that may be bothering you, that is the only way of finding solutions. There is nothing that can't be discussed and solved because in this industry there are a lot of problems for both of us," said Mwanza after completing a tour of JTI Leaf Ltd premises last Monday. Head of corporate affairs at JTI Leaf Ltd, Limbani Kakhome, said government has been forthcoming when his company has had issues needing its attention. Kakhome said JTI has plans for a cigarette manufacturing company and a processing factory which the company is already expanding at the moment. This, according to Mwanza is a clear manifestation that there a is future for tobacco farming in Malawi, saying, "JTI is an investor in this country and there is no investor who can be opening a company or expanding its operations in a country if the future of such business is bleak, this therefore means that tobacco still has a future in Malawi." Kakhome said that JTI Leaf is making long term plans because it is in the country to stay. Some of the cigarettes JTI Leaf Ltd manufactures are Wisconsin and Camel. Enditem