Inactive

The Government of Malawi (GoM) enacted a new Control of Goods (COGA) in June 2018 which became effective in July 2020. The COGA 2018 effectively repealed the Control of Goods Act that was enacted in 1... The Government of Malawi (GoM) enacted a new Control of Goods (COGA) in June 2018 which became effective in July 2020. The COGA 2018 effectively repealed the Control of Goods Act that was enacted in 1968.[1] The main departure of this new Act from the old one is the introduction of transparency and predictability mechanisms. To ensure transparency, the new COGA (2018) and its Public Interest Grounds Threshold (2020) regulation require the Ministry of Trade to consult interested parties before making any new regulations or determination and to publish a notice for consultations for not less than 30 days, within which interested parties may make representations. To ensure predictability, the law provides specific public interest grounds that serve as trigger points for the Ministry of Trade to intervene in the sector. Before putting controls in place, the Ministry must demonstrate to relevant authorities that the thresholds to impose controls or new regulations have been reached as well as the required measures have been taken. On June 4th, 2021, the Ministry of Trade in Malawi published in the Gazette a new Regulation establishing an Export Mandate citing the authority of COGA 2018. [1] Section 16 of the Control of Goods Act, 1968.