By Golden Kang’oma Junior
As part of its expansion and service delivery enhancement, Salima Sugar Company has embarked on implementing reforms on its different operations.
The development was revealed recently during a joint tour by the South Africa Kwazulu Natal Legislators and Malawi Parliament Committee on Agriculture.
Chairperson for Salima Sugar Company, Wester Peter Kosamu, said the company has been struggling for a long time and that the reforms would alleviate some of the challenges it has been facing, citing maladministration as one of the key issues.
“First of all, I should say there is a forensic audit going on and at the end of the audit, we will say what major reforms should be done.
“I should say it freely that our workers were not free as they are now. Because of the reforms we are undertaking, things have changed and the output has improved,” said Kosamu.
He also said as part of expansion, the company has also planned to venture into ethanol production as it is selling most of its molasses to other companies outside the country.
“We want to expand our company because it produces about 21 thousand metric tons of sugar per year, so, the demand of sugar is so high and we need to have forex from the sale of sugar. We have planned to expand the factory as well as the estate,” Kosamu explained.
Member of Kwazulu Natal legislature who is also chairperson of Agriculture and Rural Development in South Africa, Ntombikayise Sibhidla, said their visit in Malawi had helped them learn a lot of things they would implement in their country.
