State President Professor Peter Mutharika says trade barriers in the Southern African Development Community remain one of the challenges in the region.

State President Professor Peter Mutharika briefed journalist at Lilongwe palace on the development that took place at SADC summit he attended in Zimbabwe.

Mr Mutharika said that trade barriers in the Southern African Development Community remains one of the challenges in the region.

He said twenty years after the formation of the regional grouping, countries in the area are still struggling with trade barriers.

The President also said the SADC summit had therefore set up a committee that will look into the matter and report by May next year.

Professor Mutharika said by abolishing tariff and non-tariff barriers would spur trade in the SADC region would attract investors.

He also said countries in the region were setting up various institutions to make them competitive.
The President further said there was need for Malawi to improve its infrastructure in order to catch up with the other SADC countries in trade and investment.

Professor Mutharika said the SADC summit discussed a number of issues including malaria, HIV/AIDS, cancer and Ebola.

On Ebola, he said South Africa had the capacity to deal with the pandemic and was ready to assist countries in the region.

The President said the leaders were concerned about Ebola which has devastated countries in West Africa.
Professor Mutharika said the SADC summit also hailed the regional grouping for ensuring peaceful presidential elections in Madagascar as well as a peaceful settlement of the crisis in eastern DRC.