JB says tour of duty ‘immense success’, earns Malawi K37bn
President Joyce Banda has said her official visit to the United Kingdom, Botswana and the United States of America were rich in content and fruitful in result, disclosing it has earned Malawi MK37 billion to be used in various social –economic development programmes.
Speaking to reporters at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday, President Banda said her visits delivered “significant results” for Malawi.
President Banda said about K37 billion (about $92.5m) worth of aid which will be injected in the economy to be used in the fight against HIV and AIDS, emergency drug procurement, improve the Agriculture sector, school feeding programmes, among other interventions.
Banda said in the United Kingdom, 42 million pounds sterling was announced as new allocations to the Malawi Government.
“I held talks with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron where we discussed ways of taking the bilateral relation between Malawi and UK to a higher level through trade and investment,” President Banda said.
The Head of State said she showcased Malawi to the UK government, Parliament and business community.
She said her address to the UK-Malawi Trade Investment Forum in London was well attended by key investors and that she generated “much interest “and “goodwill”.
She said her trip to the United States of America was also successful as the US Government committed to continued assistance to Malawi, with the goal of moving Malawi from aid to trade.
“The US will support a renewed effort to export more Malawian products to the US with the aim of assisting in competitiveness, quality standards, identification of more products for export, and training of entrepreneurs especially women,” she said.
She explained that on her tour to Botswana the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in poverty eradication and social development programs.
“The MOU will be signed during the joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation meeting on 6th and 7th May 2013,” President Banda said.
The President also commented on the issue of maize at the Kanengo Silos saying she received reports that the maize went bad due to the overstaying of the silos without being rehabilitated.
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