Trade officer responsible for Control of goods Paul Kachingwe said they have amended the first and second schedules of regulations to support the country's industrialisation and import substitution drive.

Following this, no one will be allowed to import grain of any variety, including soya beans and pigeon peas, peanut butter, honey, sweets, hot chili sauces,
LPG cylinders, PVC pipes and mops without a license.

Through the gazetted regulations, Kachingwe added that the business community will need a license to export beans, cane sugar and pigeon peas.

He has highlighted that, "Such commodities will not be cleared by the Malawi Revenue Authority for the importation or exportation without the relevant licences."

He said the amendment has been necessitated to support Malawi's
industrialisation and import substitution drive.

Economic expert Gilbert Kachamba has recommended the government for the move, describing it as long overdue which will propel industrialization.

For a long time, Malawi has been heavily relying on imports due to its inability to produce more, a move economic think tanks have been blaming for the continued forex scarcity and growing unemployment levels.