Speaker of Parliament Sameer Suleman has ordered the creation of a joint parliamentary committee to investigate delays surrounding indigenous investor Napoleon Dzombe’s fertiliser processing plant project in Dowa.
The Speaker directed the committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture and Trade and Investment to jointly engage stakeholders on the project and report on the way forward, stressing that Malawi needs the investment to proceed while ensuring all legal requirements are followed.
Suleman: We want fertiliser. | Nation
His directive yesterday followed an urgent matter raised in the National Assembly by Lilongwe Likuni legislator Kelvin Mphande (independent), who argued that delaying the establishment of a local fertiliser manufacturing plant was denying Malawi opportunities for employment creation, tax revenue generation and reduced dependence on imported fertiliser.
He said while environmental and legal requirements must be respected, the project should not be delayed unnecessarily.
“We want fertiliser. I know recently we were using urine or mkodzo as a substitute for fertiliser. There was no issue of waste management then. So can we please be progressive?” Suleman said.
He warned political leaders against politicising the matter, saying doing so could affect the investor and that both sides of the political divide should work together to ensure the investment progresses.
“The issue did not start now. It has taken too long. Let’s facilitate, let’s give licence to Dr Dzombe so that the country can be served,” Suleman said.
In his submission, Mphande argued that agriculture remains the backbone of Malawi’s economy but continues to face challenges due to limited access to fertiliser, adding that local production could help address the country’s dependence on imports.
He said the proposed investment by Dzombe could create employment opportunities, particularly for young people, while increasing government revenue through taxes.
“A lot of international companies are coming to invest in Malawi and within a few days or weeks, they start operations. But we have delayed this person to start operations because of unnecessary procedures,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Mbilizi said delays in approving the project were partly linked to the developer taking time to respond to issues raised during the environmental impact assessment process.
She said government raised concerns in July 2025, particularly on waste management and other environmental issues associated with fertiliser production, but the developer took about nine months to respond.
Mbilizi stressed that government wants to ensure the project proceeds, but will not compromise environmental standards.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources chairperson Tiaone Hendry said in an interview that the committee had previously engaged the developer and relevant authorities over the delays.
She said the committee would continue monitoring the process, but emphasised that environmental procedures should not be bypassed.
