REPUBLIC OF MALAWI STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE GRAND PALACE HOTEL MZUZU FRIDAY, 12TH DECEMBER 2014 It is with a deep sense of gratitude and great joy that I join you today on this memorable and historic occasion to officially open the GrandPalace Hotel here in Mzuzu. When I wasasked to preside over this occasion, I did not hesitate to come because theneed for growth in the hospitality sector cannot be underestimated since it is the prerequisite for the development of the tourism industry in this country. This underscores the reason why Tourism development is at the centre of my Government’s efforts. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen I am particularly delighted to note that the Grand Palace Hotel Limited management decided to invest in this modern hospitalityfacility in Mzuzu City. My Governments vision is to develop Mzuzu further into a world class City as it is a gatewayto the Northern Malawi and to all the tourists attractions in the region, suchas, the Nyika Plateau, Lakeshore areas, Likoma District and the historicLivingstonia, among others. I am also happy to see a number of new modern facilities beingbuilt in the City. This is commendable because the Northern part of Malawi is opening up and more economic activitiesare taking place than ever before. I amconvinced that this trend will continue for many years to come for the betterment of the people of this region and Malawi as a whole. As a Government, we desire to see Malawiansbenefiting from such investments through economic and social empowerment. Let me take this opportunity, therefore to pay tribute andcommend the Chairman and Managing Director of The Grand Palace Hotels Limited For this hotel investment and your steadfast commitment to providing quality,yet affordable products and services. For several decades now, you have excelled in every sphere of businessesyou have ventured into, never failing to meet the ever-changing needs of your consumers. As you expand your investments to other sectors, such as, the hospitality industry, I am confident that you will continue to uphold the sameculture of excellence in all your endeavours. I commend your initiative in developing this magnificent facility in Mzuzu City. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen My Government considers Tourism as one of the strategic sectorsfor the economic transformation of this country. This is why, it is among the priority sectors, that have been identified within the economic diversification policy. Am aware, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen that for this sector to grow andcontribute significantly to the socio-economic transformation of this economy,a number of deliberate policies will have to be put in place to address the underlining challenges that are impeding growth of the sector. My Government believes that the Tourism sector has the potential to be a strategic tool to eradicate poverty; reduce inequalities; improve rural infrastructure; generate forex; create employment for the youth and wealth forthe nation. It is for this reason that I Would like to appeal to the Private sector to take lead in the development of tourism in Malawi. My Government is committed to provide an enabling environment for investment and business. In this regard, therefore, I would like to direct the Ministry Of Information, Tourism and Culture, jointly with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Transport and Public Infrastructure to identify gapsand bottlenecks in our current policies and legislations that impede tourismgrowth in this country and recommend deliberate competitive polices which myGovernment can put in place to drive investments into tourism. I am mindful of the fact that this is how other successful tourism destinations that diversified from Agriculture, such as Mauritius, did in order to develop its tourism sector. I will also be interested to see clear and specific policyrecommendations for the empowerment of local Malawians, in particular women andthe youth, in order to increase their participation in this sector. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen One of the initiatives that my Government has put in place is the Skills DevelopmentProgramme under the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development which seeks toempower the youth in various skills necessary for the economic development of this country. In this regard, theTourism sector is considered as one of the labour intensive industries whichhas potential in generating employment and promoting entrepreneurship in this country. It ismy sincere hope that the sector can also benefit from this programme throughthe development of skills in various disciplines, such as, housekeeping, tourguiding, front office management, waiting, and food production, among others.Furthermore, this programme will complement the state-of-the-art TourismTraining Institute whose construction will soon commence in Lilongwe. My Governments vision is to see that thesector has skilled and professional staff relevant to market demands in orderto deliver a world-class service so that we can compete effectively within theregion. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen Finally,I would like to once again thank the Chairperson and Managing Director of TheGrand Palace Hotels Limited and all the Directors for inviting me to presideover this function and making this event a success. It isnow my singular honour to declare The Grand Palace Hotel in the City of Mzuzuofficially opened. I thank you all for your attention. God bless you and God bless Malawi.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:42:05 +0000
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