Malawi to set up Planning Commission- Finance Minister
Malawi Finance, Economic Planning and Development Minister Goodall Gondwe has said government has started the process of establishing a National Planning Commission “in order to ensure effective economic planning” for the country.
Gondwe disclosed this when he delivered his 2015/15 national budget statement in Parliament on Friday afternoon in the capital Lilongwe.
The Finance Minister told the House that the new body will act as an independent think-tank for matters of national development.
He said the National Planning Commission will be established by an Act of Parliament.
“The Commission will be led by highly qualified professionals with strong background on development-related fields and the capacity to coordinate sectoral activities,” said Gondwe.
“Inevitably some of its work will be performed by consultants or outsources to other relevant international policy research institutions,” he pointed out.
Gondwe said government has already developed the Commission’s organisational structure and is now consulting various stakeholders further.
“We are hopeful that, in the course if the 2015/16 financial year this institution will be established so that it can play a leading role in the formulation of the country’s next development strategy,” said Gondwe.
The country’s purse keeper said the Peter Mutharika administration is committed to ensure that the Planning Commission “becomes independent of the government, yet effective in influencing the direction of the national agenda.”
He said: “Mr Speaker, Sir, studies have shown that there are financing gaps in Malawi, particularly in infrastructure and small-scale agricultural development. As a result, the government has been exploring ways of closing this gap in a sustainable basis.”
The key features of the 2015/16 budget are the lack of budgetary support and lower revenues and grants due to a decrease in donor support.
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I salute JB for initiating this initiative .DPP was in power they never thought of forming this commission. Mama were and still visionary about alleviating the plight of common people in the village. These are the same people who initiated CASHGATE under their masterminder Bingu.
Dead before arrival. We do not need another organization. Who is going to pay these commissioners? Who comes up with these crazy ideas, Saulos you let these old men run you like that? the best solution to this is federalism period.
Promises promises yet another promise with nothing to show for. Same pattern as “junior civil servant will be paid in December”…….. What the heck is going on?
Mumazitama Ku phuzira ndi ma PhD anuwo,koma mukukanika kuyendesa ziko lalin’gono
thats apositive development, only DPP guys are confused people they have good planns but evil works.they promise bread but to your suprise they will bring astone.Jealousy within the party is what is confusing their leadership.People with nothing to offer the nation are the ones who will be appointed as commisioners.We shall hear that DPP members have been appointed as commisioners in the national planning commission
There’s a joke that says that one employee in an organisation complained that the organisation had too many committees. The response of the CEO was “Ok, what we will do is we will form a committee to find out why we have too many committees, and you’ll chair that committee”. That organisation could as well have been DPP. Whenever there is a perceived problem they do not sit down to think that an existing organ of government can tackle the problem; the answer always is to create a new body, draining the already meagre resources. Civil service needs reforms? Form… Read more »
To accomodate other lhomwes by placimg them in these commissions. Mxxiiiii
Anthu atsakho ngati Alhomwe followed by Atumbuka sindinawonenso. Mukufa imfa yowawa kobasi. Mbolooonyini zanu
Establishing another nonsensical organisation where billions of kwacha will be paid out monthly as hefty salaries at the expense of money spent on building roads, houses, bridges in our districts and towns, Africans nevwr cease to amaze on their priorities.
I would rather have Regional economic think tanks whoare better connected with grassroots. In the north, there is already such a think tank – FOND.
Stop forming commissions and deliver results with what you have.We can’t even manage public toilets.What is wrong with us. The only nation under the sun languishing in poverty and yet every other politician is stinking rich. Government that can’t pay for services rendered to them and they still want another useless commission.When another president is sworn in it will probably be disbanded. Hey what a country!