Day: March 12, 2024

Amidst harsh economic and climatic conditions Malawi is currently going through, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has expressed optimism that the country will attain her social and economic aspirations spelt out in the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) agenda.

Chakwera has since appealed to Malawians to collaborate in addressing the barriers hindering progress the country so much desires.

The Malawi leader made the sentiments at Chitipa Boma when he addressed thousands of Malawians who had gathered to see and cheer him as he returned from inspecting Marko – Ifumbo Irrigation Scheme.

“I hope you are all aware of Malawi Vision 2063 Agenda and that despite all the challenges that we are facing, we will all work together to achieve it,” he told the gathering.

Chakwera said his administration is also implementing a social cash transfer to empower people, especially the elderly, so that they are able to meet their daily needs.

Group Village Head Chilambwe of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chadza in Lilongwe and Alice Gubudu of T/A Kachere in Dedza – both of them smallholder farmers – are ecstatic about the prospects of eliminating pests in their respective fields.

They believe that dealing with pests will result in increased and improved production, which will help them to meet the food and nutritional needs of their families.

“Over the years, our yields have been declining steadily due to the outbreaks of pests, especially the destructive fall armyworms. I cannot quantify how much I have been losing to the pests, but the destruction has been very substantial,” narrated Chilambwe.

The SGVH and Gubudu made the sentiments at Bunda Campus of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) where planting breeding and genetics experts are conducting trials on biotech (BT) maize.

Government-subvented National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) and Open Forum for Agriculture Biotechnology (OFAB) are jointly financing the trials whose major objective is to find a lasting solution to pests that tend to lower yields of the staple grain.

Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at LUANAR, Moses Maliro, who is leading the project implementation team, admitted that the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops like maize brings in a new aspect in addressing food security problems in Malawi.

It is a new aspect indeed because, in a country where fake news and prejudices against GM crops, experts will have an uphill task to convince the over 19 million population why it should embrace BT maize.

Of course, various studies, including those done in South Africa and Nigeria, spoke highly and positively about the use of GM crops to address problems of food insecurity and malnutrition.

In South Africa, for instance, research on BT and RR maize revealed higher output and less labor. On the other hand, non-GM maize used a significantly higher number of hours of land preparation, weeding, insecticide, herbicide, top dressing, and total labor per hectare than GM maize.

Inspired by these results, LUANAR, NCST and OFAB took an initiative to conduct a trial on BT maize in order to identify a variety that would become a lasting solution to perennial hunger due to droughts and fall armyworms.

On March 11, 2024, the three institutions took members of Parliament (MPs) and dozens of smallholder farmers from different districts to appreciate the progress being made on the confined field trial (CFT) site at Bunda Campus.

Dr. Kingdom Kwapata, one of the lead researchers in the project, said biotechnology has proven to be the most effective way to manage pests, especially in the maize crops.

Kwapata advised the MPs and the farmers to ignore the fears and rumours associated with GM maize, reassuring that GM crops are safe for human consumption.

In his remarks to the MPs and the farmers, LUANAR Vice Chancellor Professor Emmanuel Kaunda lamented that fall armyworms have left many farmers destitute in the country.

Kaunda said the study will therefore benefit of a lot of farmers because it will spawn genetically modified maize that is resistant to adverse climate change conditions.

“Agriculture is the first pillar of our development to achieve 2063 agenda and we want to increase maize production. So, through this trial, we want to find ways through which we can increase maize production and address poverty in Malawi,” he said.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Women, Roseby Gadama, expressed satisfaction with the technology, stressing that this is the only way to go as the country is going through various challenges emanating from climate change.

Gadama urged the government to provide and empower researchers with all the necessary materials so that they are able to achieve their goal.

And speaking after touring the site, Gubudu said as a mother, who bears the burden of fending for the children whenever hunger strikes a home, she will gladly embrace BT maize once the government commercializes it.

“I am ready to grow BT maize even today. Why would I hesitate when I have seen for myself how resistant the variety under trial is to pests and diseases?” said the bemused farmer.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has met the directive of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to resume printing of passports within 21 days.

At the launch of two online systems, the Malawi Business Registration System (MBRS) and the Land Information Management System (LIMS), at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) on February 29, 2024, President Chakwera challenged information and communication technology (ICT) experts to expedite the restoration of the passport printing system.

This was after the Head of State had revealed during the presentation of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in the National Assembly that the system had been hacked and that the hackers were demanding huge sums of money as a ransom.

Chakwera warned that he would not allow his people to continue suffering to get passports when the country has plenty of ICT technocrats.

He later summoned ICT gurus from from the Department of E-Government in the Ministry of Information, the National Registration Bureau in the Ministry of Homeland Security, and the Department of Innovation and Creativity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, MACRA and ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) whom he challenged to identify the problem and find a solution to it.

Last week, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services announced that it was making significant progress in its efforts to resume issuance of the passports.

This was followed up by another announcement on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, from the department that the restoration of the e-Passports Issuance System has been completed.

The department’s Director General, Brigadier General Charles Kalumo, stated that the development means that the e-Passport Issuance Services have resumed.

Kalumo added that the printing of passports will start gradually in Lilongwe this week before expanding the services to other regions.

“Further, the department is pleased to inform the public that government has reduced the e-Passport fee by 55 percent for local Malawians, from K90, 000 to K50, 000, for ordinary passports with waiting processing time of 10 days when the system is fully calibrated and operating optimally. More details will be announced soon when the Honourable Ministers of Homeland Security and Information hold a press conference,” reads the DG’s announcement.

Kalumo thanked Malawians for exercising patience during the time the e-passport issuance system was being fixed by a team of local experts from various entities who ‘worked around the clock to complete the task within the timeframe set by His Excellency the President’.

Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola, has underscored the need to broaden the scope of sources of energy to create more affordable and sustainable opportunities within the local set up in order to improve the agricultural sector in Malawi.

He said more sustainable and affordable sources of energy would contribute positively to not only the development of irrigation but also livestock production and agro-processing among others.

Speaking at the opening of the Agri-energy Delivery Laboratory at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Matola said government is focused on agro-led industrialisation as it has the greatest scope for sectors that can drive inclusive economic growth and economic transformation.

“Today we are here unlocking issues of access to electricity; not only being connected to the grid but also using the God given natural resources such as solar to make this country go further in value addition.

“As President Chakwera has chosen three sectors in his administration, mainly Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) to drive economic transformation and all these require energy as their enabler,” he said.

Matola added that government’s removal of some taxes on solar equipment is a right step in ensuring easy access to electricity and affordability of energy for everyone.

Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), Dr Janet Banda, said agro-industrialisation, which is the core driver of President Chakwera’s transformation agenda of job creation, wealth creation and food security remains a challenge due to high energy costs, limited grid network and power generation.

“Although strides have been made to curb the challenges like introduction of the special agriculture tariff to enhance access to affordable energy, there are still many users who are not yet connected to the power grid.

“Hence solar energy has become a very crucial source of power in the agro sector. However, there are several challenges associated with solar energy which needs to be thoroughly dissected and analysed,” she said.

She added that there are several solar powered agro-processing cooperatives across the country who are facing challenges of affordability, authenticity and sustainability of solar equipment which the agri-energy delivery lab is meant to find lasting solutions to.

One of the farmers from Mwalamba Cooperative in Mangochi, Falesi Dinesi, said they face challenges in accessing solar power hence the need for a transformer in their area so that they can boost sales in their respective businesses.

The Agri-energy Delivery Lab has been organised by PDU with financial support from Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).

The embassy of Japan in Malawi has signed a K60 million grant with Zomba Police College Hospital for the importation of an ambulance to support the delivery of emergency health services in Zomba.

Speaking after the signing ceremony in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Ambassador of Japan to Malawi, Yoichi OYA, said although Zomba Police College Hospital makes a lot of efforts to provide quality health services to police officers as well as to the people of Zomba lack of an ambulance prevents the hospital from dealing with urgent needs.

He said the hospital is unable to cope with sudden changes in conditions, especially for pregnant women and critically injured patients, because it is using general vehicles to transport patients.

“Our development cooperation policy emphasises the importance of human security, investment in people and human dignity. Japan has demonstrated its commitment to achieving universal health coverage in Africa as committed at TICAD 8 held in Tunisia in 2022. Japan is fully committed to assist Malawi to achieve the goals outlined in MW2063,” he said.

OYA strongly hopes that the provision of an ambulance will contribute to the provision of quality health services to police officers as well as Zomba residents.

He, therefore, urged the hospital to provide required care and maintenance for the ambulance.

The project is funded by the government of Japan under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

Deputy Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Happy Mkandawire, said the grant has come at the right time saying it will ease mobility challenges the hospital experiences in ferrying patients to Zomba Central Hospital.

“Let me express our profound gratitude to the government of Japan for their timely response at a time the hospital is in dire need of an ambulance. The ambulance will ease mobility challenges in ferrying patients in need of tertiary level health care. This will help in reduction of complications and preventable deaths that occur due to delays in ferrying patients to referral hospitals,” Mkandawire said.

He, therefore, assured the ambassador that the hospital will take all necessary measures in ensuring that the ambulance is put to good use.

Zomba Police College Hospital has a total catchment area of approximately 3,181 and offers health services to an average of 4,000 clients from the nearby surrounding community per month.

Partners in Health (PIH) has scaled up youth corners in Neno in a bid to promote family planning and sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) services among the youth.  

PIH Primary Health Care Manager, Issac Mphande, made the remarks on Monday during a review meeting which saw PIH handing over recreation materials to the youth.

He said bringing the youth closer to the service makes it easier for them to access SRHR services.

“We provide different recreation materials such as games like snake and ladders to make the youth busy as they interact with peers and health care providers,” said Mphande.

The initiative is supporting Ministry of Health to address health needs of young people in the district by establishing youth corners to reduce teenage and unintended pregnancies among adolescents.

Mphande said youths are engaged in community dialogue and youth open days to reach out to more youths.

“To make the project sustainable, we have trained health care providers and youth leaders on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Youth Friendly Health Services,” he said.

Neno District Youth Officer, Ian Sukali, urged youths to patronise the corners and appealed to partners in the district to join the drive by providing recreation and sporting equipment across all the youth corners.

“PIH has supported with musical instruments. We need partners to come in and support the youth corners with sporting materials so that we should be able to attract young people to attend youth friendly services in large numbers,” said Sukali. 

He added that youth corners create safe place for adolescents to access SRHR and comprehensive services on sexual gender based violence.

The project is being implemented under the ‘No woman or girl left behind’ with funding from Global Affairs of Canada.

PIH has scaled up to eight youth corners in Neno at Dambe, Nsambe, Ligowe, Neno DHO, Magaleta, Zalewa, Chifunga and Matope.

First Discount House (FDH) Bank on Monday officially opened a banking facility in Likoma, becoming the first bank to open a branch in the island district.

Speaking during the official opening of the bank, Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda commended FDH bank for the facility, saying it will help to improve socio-economic wellbeing of people in the district.

“I would like to appeal to people in the district to take advantage of the bank to improve their socio-economic wellbeing through safe keeping of their savings, borrowing to expand their businesses and accessing insurance services in case of eventualities, among others,” said Banda.

He said the bank has shown that it is a true and reliable government partner as it has spearheaded various development initiatives that are aligned with the government vision of turning Malawi into an inclusively wealthy middle income country.

Deputy Governor for Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) responsible for economics and regulation, McDonald Mwale said Likoma has for a long time been denied easy access to financial services due to reluctance of banks to open branches on the Island district.  

“As RBM, which is the regulator of the banking industry in Malawi, we have always preached about financial inclusion whereby we encourage financial and banking services to be taken to the people.

“Thanks to FDH. Honestly, this is not a business decision but a decision to serve people.  We have been hearing of people putting ATM cards together and sending someone to go and get money for them on the mainland which was very risky,” said Mwale.  

Member of Parliament (MP) for Likoma Ashems Songwe said the absence of banks in Likoma District had been forcing people to keep millions of kwachas under their pillows while civil servants could be away for days to access their salaries on the mainland.