Government has conceded that it having challenges in dealing with the influx of foreign nationals plying their businesses in undesignated places across the country.

The development follows a growing concern by Malawians who have bemoaned the tendency of the foreign nationals of conducting businesses meant for locals.

According to Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe, government is currently in the process of checking requirements of such foreigners at an inter ministerial level in collaboration with the Homeland Security Ministry.

“This is an inter-ministerial issue because before we licence anybody to be able to ply business in this country first of all we need to check their requisite papers which one of them is business resident permit which they get from Homeland Security Ministry.

“In the past, the issuance of these licences and passports hasn’t been credible enough and too many people have been issued these documents when they were not supposed to be issued,” said the Trade Minister.

Gwengwe added that government has, as of recent, slowed down issuing security documents that the foreign nationals ought to have to stay in the country.

“We are sitting down as a new government, having our own inter-ministerial engagement to see how best we can go through this problem so that going forward we are able to come up with a concrete and decisive solution.

“But in the meantime, the Ministry of Homeland Security has slowed down in issuance of the security documents that people need to have in this country,” Gwengwe said.