There are fears that the Blantyre Hotels (BHL) plc Lilongwe hotel project could miss the December 2025 deadline due to foreign exchange shortage and logistical challenges emanating from Mozambique’s post-election conflict. This was disclosed during a site visit by Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule and Nico Holdings officials on Friday at Lilongwe Golf Club. In an interview, BHL board chairperson and Nico Holdings plc managing director Vizenge Kumwenda said progress has not been to the levels they wished. He said: “We have faced challenges sourcing forex to pay suppliers. Out there, suppliers are not prepared to release supplies before they get paid. “But I’m glad that regardless, we have been assisted and been able to source forex from the banks although it’s not at the pace that we would have loved.” Kumwenda said from July 2024 when riots started in Mozambique, some of the cargo meant for the hotel project were passing through Beira and so trackers were stuck for some time before they could start moving from Beira to Malawi. “We would want to finish this project this year by December. That’s our wish, but that will depend on us being able to get the forex that we need to import the remaining items and also that logistically cargo meant for this project will be able to get here on time,” he said. During the visit, Kamtukule expressed satisfaction with the project works which are at the finishing phase, saying the hotel is situated at a strategic place for tourists. “We expect this 180 bed hotel to add to the national capacity to host high level international conferences, opportunities that we sometimes miss because of capacity challenges,” she said. Last year, BHL which owns Blantyre Protea Hotel Ryalls, managed to raise K62.4 billion through rights issue, selling of extra shares to raise capital meant to finance the completion of the project, whose costs jumped due to the 44 percent devaluation in 2023. After the rights issue, the public now own 31.57 percent, Nico Life Insurance Company has 31.06 percent, Africap LLC owns 22.15 percent while Nico Holdings plc has 15.22 percent stake. The project is expected to cost $56 Millon (about K100 billion).