Poverty reduction at centre of PP agenda—JB

The People’s Party (PP) main policy thrust is to create wealth through economic growth and job creation as a means of achieving poverty reduction, PP founding leader and State Vice President Joyce Banda has said.

Speaking to a mammoth crowd that braved a heavy downpour at a public rally she addressed at Hoba Village in T/A Kalembo’s area in Balaka, Banda said that emphasis should still be placed on improving food security, especially at household level but noted that food security should not be looked at only from the point of self-sufficiency, but also in terms of sustainable “access” to adequate food at affordable prices for the majority of the people, particularly the rural and urban poor; including the landless.

“This means improving household incomes through expanded income opportunities such as small scale businesses, access to productive assets including land, skills development, improved marketing, pricing and food distribution,” she told the cheering crowd.

Joyce Banda addressing crowds in Balaka

According to the first woman State Vice President in Malawi, the People’s Party also believes there is need to improve agricultural productive through more innovation adoption such as improved seeds, modern inputs and modern machinery.

“There is need to improve crop diversification, improved food processing and storage. There is need to emphasize on agricultural mechanization and commercialization and improve livestock farming to create employment and self-employment and wealth,” she said.

The VP said the PP’s slogan is “Power to the People” and therefore a people-centred party that seeks to service the people.

“PP is owned by the people. People’s Party’s vision is to unlock the potential of Malawians to regain their freedom, dignity and a sense of pride thereby unlocking Malawi’s potential to realize her social, political and economic freedoms.

“PP seeks to drive a people’s development agenda that enhances opportunities; reduces inequalities; and overcomes poverty through its political, social and economic programmes, which respect the people’s voices,” said Banda.

She said in order to achieve its core agenda of reducing poverty through the creation of wealth, the People’s Party believes that power must go to the people because the people are the engine of growth.

“The people are the first capital of any state. The people need to organize themselves to fight poverty; to fight oppression; to fight unemployment and to fight underdevelopment. To achieve this, we need to be united in the defence of the Constitution, good and economic governance.

“We must fight nepotism, intolerance of people with alternative views, corruption. We must fight religious intolerance; and gender inequalities. We must be united in our national agenda, women, youth, men, all of us must work together to regain our pride, to regain our freedom. We need to incorporate marginalized groups such as the orphans and people with disabilities,” the VP explained.

Banda explained that in order to create wealth for all Malawians, PP will promote just and fair access to national resources and opportunities such as agricultural inputs, education, medical facilities, administration of justice, capital for business and vocational training, among others.

She said the next PP Government would also implement the Local Government Agenda to ensure that power devolves to the people so that the people are involved in the planning and monitoring of local development programmes.

Speaking at the same rally, PP Provincial Governor for the Eastern Region, Samson Msosa and Balaka District Chairman, Mussa Changali urged on the people in the district to support the People’s Party and Banda to experience meaningful change in their livelihood in 2014 when national elections are due and beyond.

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