Can A Cow That is Not Properly Fed Give Good Quantity Of Milk That Everyone Depends On? A Villager’s Perspective

How I wish the forex generators of ATM (Agriculture, Tourism, and Mining) had received a major portion of the national budget. At only 12%, the ATM development allocation is a mockery. Wages at 18% must be critically examined. Do we need all the civil servants, or is there excess baggage, considering the low level of services available to citizens? An institutional review of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) may be essential to unlock unproductive expenditures.

The allocation for youth and sports development stands at MK30.9 billion, while tourism and mining combined receive only MK28.1 billion. Tourism and mining are the lifeblood of the country as they have the potential to generate the majority of the forex required for fuel, drugs, and other essential imports. In times of financial austerity, youth development should not take precedence over industry, which is currently choking due to a lack of forex.

Our hospitals lack drugs because of forex shortages. The high forex rates are a result of low supply. Even if we allocate more money to the health sector, particularly for drug importation, it will be meaningless without sufficient forex.

With donors pulling out, we should have focused on the creation and expansion of forex-generating projects. More funding should have been allocated to institutions that support export-based manufacturing and government-sponsored mining initiatives. Unfortunately, I foresee continued forex challenges because the industries responsible for generating forex have been starved.

If I had the opportunity to formulate the national budget, I would allocate 50% of it to Agriculture, Tourism, and Mining (ATM), with the Malawi Development Corporation (MDC) leading the charge in fostering participatory investments in these sectors. MDC should take a central role in spearheading forex-generating initiatives.

Do we truly expect to get abundant milk from a starving cow? It will not happen. ATM will remain just another slogan, and the fight against black-market vendors and reliance on the diaspora will persist. If we do not prioritize forex-generating industries, the economic crisis will only deepen.