Malawi MPs reject K20bn loan bill to increase university intake

Members of Parliament on Tuesday rejected  a a $50 million (about K20 billion) Loan Authorisation Bill which Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe tabled.

Gondwe said the government  wanted the bill to pass so that they can  borrow funds from the World Bank to finance increasing access to higher education at the University of Malawi (Unima) colleges, vocational education provider Teveta and Mzuzu University (Mzuni).

In the bill, government asked MPs to support the design of high quality and relevant education programmes which would be delivered through open and distance learning (ODL).

The skills development project will target the three public colleges and Teveta with funding using disbursements linked indicators which means they will only be funded after meeting specific targets.

Responding to the bill, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP Jessie Kabwila, an academician,  said increasing access to tertiary education should go alongside infrastructure and human resource development.

But the MPs later rejected the bill.

Leader of the House Francis Kasaila said government will re-engage the MPs so that they can bring back the bills which he saidis “very important”increase the university intake.

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