VP Chilima says Malawi requires moral reconstruction to development

Malawi Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima has said there is need to increase the Public Private Partnership for the country to ably move forward and also stimulate the private sector considering that they are the engine of economic growth.

Chilima: Spread the love against hate
Chilima: Change of template for Malawi

Chilima, who is also the Chairperson of Public Service Reform, spoke during a public lecture organized by Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) in Lilongwe Friday. The public lecture was also part of the Network’s annual general meeting.

He said it was high time Malawians changed their mind-set and adopt the “business unusual approach” for the country to development.

“We need to begin to be serious with life as a people. If we continue using the same template for development that we have used all along, this country will not move forward.

“Indeed, we must do things differently and better and, if we have to succeed, we must do them together as a nation,” said Chilima.

He further observed that an efficient and effective public service will only be possible if the public service will have the same high professional ethics and integrity that the Malawi public service was once known for.

The vice president also said while there are many strategies that have to be adopted, the country require moral reconstruction and high professional ethics institutions, particularly in the public service.

“This is an agenda that the public sector reforms will advance. It is an agenda that must happen and there is no going back. Public servants must, therefore, rise to the occasion.

“And, I appeal to various sections of our society to support His Excellency the President’s reform agenda. It is only then that this country will start developing on a sustainable basis,” he emphasized.

He then thanked Professor Thandika Mkandawire presenting an inspiring and motivating public lecture titled “Thinking about a Developmental State in Malawi”.

“If we talk about the agriculture sector, which is the major employer, you will notice that it is undergoing transformation as part of the ongoing public sector reforms.

“One such reform is the turning of the Green Belt Initiative into a holdings limited, a move that is expected to increase agricultural production, enterprise development and exports,” he told the gathering.

According to State Vice President, many people have equated development to the decline in unemployment, inequality and poverty while others have looked at development as a process that expands real freedoms that people enjoy.

The 1987 Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

“This tells us that there are a number of approaches to measuring development and hence a number of ways of classifying whether an entity is developing or not.

“For example, the World Bank uses scales as low, medium and high based on per capita income. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) uses classifications of least developed, developing and developed countries based on per capita income, exports and vulnerability to external shocks.

“But the question that all of us must be asking ourselves is: What is our collective role in making development happen as government, the academia, civil society, traditional leaders, religious leaders and individual Malawians?

“If you ask me this question, I would tell you that facilitating development in Malawi has been a preoccupation for leaders in Malawi for a long time. In post-political independence, the leadership has implemented policies which have a large foreign content,” he explained.

He then said while stable macro-economic conditions and high GDP growth are the objectives to achieve, the current administration is also mindful of the quality of that growth in terms of job creation and fostering equity.

Chilima said this is why government was establishing Community Colleges to train the youth in vocational skills so that they start small scale business to be self-reliant.

“I do believe that when people, especially young people, hold the destiny of their future in their hands they become less violent and are unlikely to be involved in illicit behavior, thereby contributing to national development,” he said.

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el- Chapo(small in stature. big in mind )
el- Chapo(small in stature. big in mind )
9 years ago

(Ife sitidzapeleka chenje as salaries to the public servants) but one year downline civil servants are still paid machenje. I think you’re just good at mere rhetorics, please get down to serious business before people lose your trust. public service reforms are useless without motivation.

dochima
9 years ago

Stupid guy. Gvt is nt airtel. If the two are machines then gvt is two big to use the VP’s brains. Which theory of development are you using sir? You speak sweat words spoken by some other country’s presidents ndiye popeza your listeners are not exposed amangoombera m’manja. Half of the sentences by the president and vp during lectures are sentences from speeches of famous presidents. Hand clappers be careful. Smoke them!!!!!!

Masharubu
Masharubu
9 years ago

Chilima is full of hot air . Very soon, most Malawians will realise that he is just a PR guy . His words are usually not in step with reality on the ground . Leadership is not about churning out nice sounding statements . Leadership us about analysing the situation and finding out what is really wrong, and then “grabbing the bull by the horns”

chefourpence
9 years ago

Ya convoy itaeni. The guy needs security. Mukufuna mumuphe?

Jwa Mjimpi
Jwa Mjimpi
9 years ago

“We must do things differently and better…” yet Chilima himself is in the forefront of doing things the same old way. Daily he wastes more than 4 times the fuel he should be wasting: Going to the office and back he uses about 7 four wheel vehicles in addition to his Merc – David Cameron and Angela Merkel have convoys that are less than one third of the convoy that Chilima uses. And he sees nothing wrong with this. Why on earth would the Vice President of the poorest country in the world think that it is prudent to use… Read more »

tsetsefly
tsetsefly
9 years ago

Time is slowly but surely ticking. Economic woes are the order of the day. Insecurity is but something we have just decided to live with. Inflation, valueless currency, sale of valuable assets at giveaway prices, Escom may be going soon. I curse the 20 may 14 coz Malawians brought back the illuminatis back to power to kill,steal and destroy.

Emmanuel E. Muyenza
Emmanuel E. Muyenza
9 years ago

What happened to Tecnical Schools?

Sapitwa
Sapitwa
9 years ago

I agree but what you need to keep always in mind is that having a policy is one thing but having relevant strategies to support those policies for action is another. Since you were speaking this at a public lecture organized by CISANET, it may be relevant for me to touch on Agriculture.Our current farming efforts can not bring this country to the level it is required though you have Greenbelt innitiatives in place. You may need to borrow a leaf from Israel where you and you Minister visited. Their produce is flooded on the markets in the West and… Read more »

manzy Gavanala
manzy Gavanala
9 years ago

Palibenso za mindset apa.We need jobs in Malawi.You were promising people mountains during your campaign but now you are busy giving empty speeches.

Alufeyo
Alufeyo
9 years ago

Mr Chilima you must yourself demonstrate that what you are advocating is what you believe in. Unfortunately you have a big convoy that shows you are not serious with safeguarding our meagre resources. Why do you use a diren as if you are in an ambulance or as if you are a fireman. Why have you surrounded yourself with Africana adherents instead of competent people. I feel sorry when people who are political novices pretend they understand the public service. Let me exucate you on why the public service of today cant be like that of pre 1994. We are… Read more »

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