The bank base lending rates are just a punishment, this is why many people are getting poor and poorer because we have no any external empowerment. Our friends from other countries are able to do a lot of things with bank loans, they are able to start-up a business, grow a business, pay school bills because the loan conditions and rates are much lower and flexible. Right now to get a loan then you are just making money for the bank not yourself because. eg to take a loan of 1 Million Kwacha at an interest rate of 44% you have to pay back 1.44Million Kwacha, and with the other charges plus time factor you end up paying close to 2.5Million, so where is the advantage of risking to take a loan when the whole business profit will go to the bank. Many people have brilliant business ideas that can enable Malawi economy to grow fast, but they lack capital, and all the dreams remain nightmares. What can we do to lobby the banks to bring down their rates? Cooperative society is the immediate solution, no need to keep money in the banks, they are not being friendly.

By Stephen Amachi Chisati