Chilima urges donors to respect Malawi’s development plans: Recommends long-term strategies

Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima says Malawi needs to stop thinking short-term if the country is to change economic fortunes.

Chilima  arriving at BICC to preside over the launch of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III Mid-Term Review Report.
Veep Chilima  receives report of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III Mid-Term Review Report.

Chilima, who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms, made the remarks when he launched the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III) report at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Thursday.

The Vice President observed that short-term plans only work to satisfy the political egos of the few at the expense of the future of the next generations.

He said it is high time Malawi inculcated a culture of continuing with development programmes and policies that are or have significant potential to transform the lives of Malawians, stressing that this is part of the public sector reforms that gave birth to the National Planning Commission.

“Allow me to reiterate the Tonse Alliance government’s commitment to continue with development initiatives and other programmes started by the previous administration, so long they are impactful and in the best interest of the nation. It is therefore within this spirit that I accepted to grace this occasion even though whatever is being reported happened before the Tonse Alliance came in,” he said.

He assured that the Tonse Alliance government gives its full support to the National Planning Commission as it has embarked on a crucial journey of defining the next long-term development plan (vision) that has been widely consultative for broad ownership.

He added that it is encouraging to note that when the new vision is launched, the current MGDS III will be reviewed to ensure that it aligns to the new vision and that only initiatives that are found to be working or promising quick wins are retained and scaled-up.

According to Chilima, this will include transformative initiatives proposed by the new administration.

“The key word is transformative. The revised MGDS III will hence assume the important role of being the ‘accelerator’ to attainment of the new vision’s aspirations by laying the foundations for the first five years. Solid foundations that will take us to the highway of inclusive wealth creation  and self-reliance. Once the new Vision is launched, it will be incumbent on all political parties to align their party manifestoes to it,” said the Veep.

He urged development partners to respect Malawi’s development plans and always align their programmes to the country’s national priorities.

“Basically, support us on our journey to self-reliance which Malawians themselves want. In the nascent stages we will need your support around building our capacities at all levels including for our budding Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs). Talking of capacities, one area that needs support is M&E systems and data availability. Good quality and timely data needs to be available at central and decentralized levels, disaggregated by gender,” said Chilima.

The NPC Director General Thomas Munthali admitted that the country has failed miserably in the implementation of flagship projects.

Munthali disclosed, for instance, that in the transport sector, out of 21 projects, only two have been implemented.

On the other hand, only one project of construction of primary schools is in progress just in the education sector.

“There are too many projects that do not deserve to be referred to as flagship, leading to spread of resources thinly,” he said.

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yusuf
yusuf
3 years ago

Poyamba makadet mumat mcp ndi utm sangawine pano awina lukut chilima akuzitenga ngat wanzer kwen kwen mukufuna chiyan ? Anzanut nyama adagawan isadafe mwin umeneo ndi mgwirizano wao Osat mgwirizano wa Atuper ndi Agogo aja zikumunyas asamuke ukwe amangwetuuu

Printing Machinery Supplier
Printing Machinery Supplier
3 years ago

Where are the donors? All the donor’s have severe economic crisis of their own with Covid 19. May I suggest Hon SKC, you arrange to install a printing plant to print US $. Otherwise you cannot dictate. Look at how donor aid has been abused since 1994 and then show some understanding of donors concern’s before again seeking headlines. You are the same SKC as on Hardtalk. Yawutha Boma only words!

Joseph Banda
Joseph Banda
3 years ago

KKKKK Donors have no cause to respect or not respect the development plans. If you dare to seek their money from their tax payers they will hammer you with questions. If the plans are meant to develop one sector orl one family, surely they will. YOU HAVE TOLD THEM THAT MALAWI IS FULL OF ROOTERS, and they have the weapons to dig deeper. YOU WILL SWEAT!

Namukhoviwa
Namukhoviwa
3 years ago
Reply to  Joseph Banda

…and your point is

Felix
Felix
3 years ago

I am a DPP diehard. But support whatever initiative you guys will make to develop this country. SKC you have rightly said that continuing with programmes which the previous regime initiated is okay as long as they will have a positive impact on Malawians. This is what we call leadership. Just be careful not to fight too much with donors. You know what it means. Otherwise wishing you the very best.

Mpoloni
Mpoloni
3 years ago

Chilima this, Chilima that..!
Inasmuch as I appreciated the efforts being made by the vice president, the development of this country cannot be about one man.

Why do you want to make us believe that every sector needs to reform? The government needs to identify key priority areas and focus on those areas. Our resources are limited and I think we need to seriously prioritise. My take!

Baba Tunde
Baba Tunde
3 years ago
Reply to  Mpoloni

Obviously you haven’t read the article. Sit down you’re not saying anything new

Zeze
3 years ago
Reply to  Mpoloni

The problem with Chilima is that he thrives on showing that he knows better than anyone else (ati wanzeru ndi iye yekha). He thrives on megaphone politics and grandstanding. He is behaving as if he is THE president, for goodness sake. Soon, the sleepy Chakwera and MCP will realise they have a snake under the bed.

Michael 11c
Michael 11c
3 years ago
Reply to  Zeze

Zimene sizoona munthu akakhala was pheee mukuti opusa

Michael 11c
Michael 11c
3 years ago
Reply to  Mpoloni

Good point they must look key priority not every where

Mada
Mada
3 years ago
Reply to  Mpoloni

Which sector in ur opinion does not need reforms? Every part of gvt business has been used to symphony money

Sarah sarah
Sarah sarah
3 years ago

All that talk and nothing tangible or policy to show for it. Typical of Chilima, always full of rhetorics and miyambi but nothing else… This is not marketing

Harry
Harry
3 years ago
Reply to  Sarah sarah

Tonse are pUtting system in place and come up with framework with which to develop the country and you can’t see the need for this task but lebel chilima as somebody who talks to much without action. You have the problem

YRUsostupid!
3 years ago

56 years of independence. And we are still apportioning blame to the donors!

Tariq
Tariq
3 years ago
Reply to  YRUsostupid!

clearly you are plagued with worshipping white people… inculcated with nigger’s mentality. Free yourself piece of self-hating shit!

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