‘No stooping low for Nyekhwe’: Chilima pledges K75bn loan fund, unbundles agenda to transform Malawi

State vice-president Dr Salous Klaus Chilima on Sunday said UTM remains the hope of the country as the party has mega plans to rebuild the country and that programmes contained in its manifesto will be incorporated into a grand opposition alliance package that will be unveiled on Thursday this week.

Speaking to a mammoth crowd at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre, Chilima spend time unbundling the UTM manifesto which focuses on three major categories: economic reform, robust government leadership and fighting corruption.

Chilima annoaunced that he has secured funds for K75 billion loan for the youth, women and the disadvantaged groups to access loans to set up businesses, the amount has been increased from K40 billion that was announced in 2018.

“UTM pledges a K75 billion loan fund for the youth, women and other marginalised populations in the country. I have already identified the funds for this initiative,” he said.

“We can do better as a country than propagating hate speech. Why stooping so low as to have these so called Nyekhwe [DPP war-cry]  songs. We need the youth to be development conscious,”added Chilima with his rendition of Nyekhwe song, to talk about job creation and empowerment.

Chilima also announced that he has secured funds to build decent and affordable houses in the country and that members of the security forces from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and Malawi Police, Immigration and Prisons departments will be first beneficiaries.

“We need to bring order to the public housing sector. It’s high time town people stayed in town befitting houses,” stressed the UTM leader.

“All the programmes outlined in the UTM manifesto will be implemented and will be in the alliance package to be announced soon”, said Chilima.

He also reiterated that UTM  will create one million jobs in the first year of office and that Malawians will buy a bag of fertilizer at cheap and affordable price of  K4,495 than the current situation where farmers were buying a 50 kg bag at K22,000.

Chilima also repeated his earlier promise that UTM will establish “duty free week” every year where business people will be allowed to import products into the country duty free.

The UTM  leader will remove connection fee for water and electricty to enable more Malawians access these basic needs.

“I want to assure Malawians that UTM government water and electricity will be free as we will remove the conncetion fee. People will only be paying there monthly bills,” he said.

He re-affirmed that UTM will introduce mega farms across the country, revamp the operations of the Admarc and ensure that farmers have access to markets for their products.

“Our promise that Malawians should have three meals per day still stands. We want a Malawi where people are empowered and live happily,” he said.

He said within 100 days in office UTM will spearhead change of mindset among Malawians, revamp the operations of government and ensure that civil servants are productive, welll paid and are paid on time.

Chilima said the goal of UTM is to see a Malawi  that is free of corruption, nepotism and discrimination by laying strong foundations for economic growth of the country.