Malawi labour policy to be ready before end this year
The final draft of the National Employment and labour policy which seeks to address labour market failures and stimulate private sector investment will be ready before the end of this year.
Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Labour, James Kalilangwe made the remarks Wednesday July 4 when he was opening the stakeholders meeting on the final stakeholders’ validation meeting on the policy in Lilongwe.
He said when they adopt the policy it would enhance productivity and employment opportunities.
Kalilangwe said the national employment and labour policy lie within the package of the Malawi Growth and Development strategy which advocates for sustainable economic growth.
He said from the time the International Labour Organization (ILO) requested for the implementation of the policy, there had been a series of consultations to identify key constraints on employment growth in Malawi.
The P/S said he was happy with the progress made in ensuring that the drafting of the policy was in progress adding that when ll was done it will be presented at the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
“Following the wide consultations that we have had with different stakeholders in determining the prime areas of actions, I am pleased to inform you that the final draft is ready and once this meeting endorses it, we shall end it to the office of the president and cabinet for approval,” Kalilangwe explained.
Kalilangwe then commended the ILO for being greater partners in the exercise.
Commenting on the issue in an interview, Chief Labour Officer, Wafwile Musukwa said the purpose of the policy is to ensure that economic growth should be translated into more jobs.
Musukwa said labour policy was to use employment as an important tool for poverty reduction.
He said fortunately the country’s growth and development strategy has also recognized employment as “very important key for poverty reduction.
Musukwa then pointed out that the draft policy once implemented would address a number of key areas ranging from Micro-economic policies among others.
“The labour policy also addresses issues of agriculture sector because agriculture provides employment to the largest population and contributes heavily towards the development of the country. Additionally the policy also considers the youth employment as they are in majority,” said Musukwa.
Mohammed Gassama, International Labour Organization Representative said if the business and all sectors expand, with the new policy more people will be employed.
Gassama who is also senior employment specialist in the department of employment policy in Geneva, Switzerland encouraged the private sector to help government in the employment of people citing that government alone could not manage to employ all people.
An Employment Diagnostic Analysis study of the labour policy was commissioned to identify key constraints to employment growth in the country and to recommend policy options and actions to address the rising unemployment, underemployment and poverty in the country.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
