Blessings Tambala

The World Bank has announced resumption of direct budgetary support to Malawi, a development that is likely going to boost economic growth for the country.

The bank stopped providing direct budgetary aid six years ago over concerns of financial mismanagement by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration under Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the World Bank said it is impressed with the commitment the incumbent government has demonstrated to address macroeconomic imbalances.

“For the first time since 2017, the World Bank is providing Malawi with budget support that will help the country enhance fiscal sustainability and transparency, stimulate private sector-led growth, and increase resilience to shocks. The Government of Malawi has demonstrated commitment to address macroeconomic imbalances, unsustainable debt, and longstanding structural and business environment constraints inhibiting private sector-led growth. It is also taking robust steps to restore macroeconomic stability through addressing long-standing fiscal, monetary and external sector imbalances, as reflected in the new Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” reads the statement in part.

The statement quotes the World Bank Country Director Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania, Nathan Belete, as applaunding Malawi’s authorities for taking tough, but necessary decisions to stabilize an acute macro-economic crisis.

“I am pleased the Bank is now able to respond with a substantial budget support operation that supports an ongoing program of reforms. The Bank will also continue to work closely with the authorities and all international partners to protect the poorest while pursuing a muchneeded economic turnaround. Together, we must ensure this operation marks a turning point in the country’s economic fortunes,” says Belete.

According to the statement, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved the “Malawi First Growth and Resilience Development Policy Operation with Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO)”, a $137 million package which consists of an immediate release of $80 million to support reforms and recovery and a $57 million CAT-DDO that can be triggered in the event of a crisis.

It adds that the DPO, the first in a series of two operations, is anchored in a robust government-led structural reform agenda to i) strengthen fiscal sustainability and transparency, ii) stimulate private sector-led growth, and iii) increase resilience to shocks. Key measures that have unlocked the DPO include measures to strengthen the legal framework for public finance management and public private partnerships, mobilize private finance and investment including in digital and energy sectors, increased public procurement transparency, the reforms to modernize the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) while fostering financial inclusion and strengthening shock-sensitive social safety nets.

The Bank states that Malawi’s current difficulties stem from longstanding macroeconomic imbalances that were exacerbated by a series of external crises including the COVID-19 pandemic shocks, price, and inflation shocks, and three cyclones in 2022 and 2023 which have had devastating impacts on both households and businesses.

In his remarks, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, said the operation is a significant milestone in our ongoing reform journey.

Banda said this shows the increased confidence that the World Bank has in the ongoing efforts to reform the economy and become a self-reliant, industrialized upper middle-income country by 2063.

The three-year term of the operation will be supported by continued engagement with the government in preparation of a second DPO in the series, monitoring and policy dialogue across the three pillars that include fiscal, transparency and public finance management (PFM) reforms; putting in place the conditions required to stimulate private sector-led growth; strengthening the resilience of the poor against shocks; and providing technical assistance.

During this period, the CAT-DDO will only be made available in a declared “State of Disaster” in accordance with Section 37 of the Disaster Risk Management Act of 2023 to support the country in strengthening crisis preparedness and response.

Women’s Coalition Against Cancer (WOCACA) has called upon authorities at the Capital Hill, Lilongwe, and its development partners to allocate adequate resources in the health sector in order to improve the quality of care clients receive in public health facilities.

WOCACA Executive Director Maud Mwakasungula emphasized that it is high times Malawians strated accessing quality healthcare services without the fear of financial pain.

Mwakasungula made the sentiments in a statement issued in commemoration of this year’s Universal Health Coverage. The statement was titled: “Advocating for Universal Health Coverage: For Health Equity”

Mwakasungula reaffirmed her organization’s commitment to the idea that health is a human right, not a privilege.

“UHC means that every person, in every corner of the world, should have access to quality healthcare services without the fear of financial ruin. As advocates for health, we understand that UHC is not just a goal; it’s a moral imperative. It’s about ensuring that vulnerable communities, including women, girls, the elderly, and marginalized populations, have equal access to the care they need. It’s about leaving no one behind,” reads part of the statement.

She called upon the stakeholders in the health sectors to work together to strengthen health systems, improve healthcare infrastructure, and promote equitable access to healthcare services.

She stressed that this is the only way the stakeholders can make a difference in the sector.

“By doing so, we can make significant progress towards achieving UHC and creating a healthier, more just world for all. And on this day, let us redouble our efforts to advocate for policies and investments that prioritize health for everyone, everywhere. Together, we can make Universal Health Coverage a reality and contribute to a brighter, healthier future for all,” concluded Mwakasungula.

WOCACA is a registered cancer organization founded by women and girls who have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer. The organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of rural women and girls, ensuring that they have the support, and knowledge necessary to prevent, detect, and manage cancers and other non -communicable diseases effectively.

Controversial senior member of the National Governing Council (NGC) of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ken Msonda, has alleged that he is living in poverty because he refused to participate in plunder of public resources by the DPP officials.

Msonda claims majority of the wealthy DPP officials benefitted from the free-for-all theft of public resources and corruption, which former President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s administration oversaw during the six years of his leadership.

The foot-soldier makes the allegations in a voice note that has gone viral on social media.

In the audio clip, Msonda is accusing DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba of being one of the beneficiaries of theft of public resources that happened during the Mutharika regime.

He made the allegations during his interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS). Apparently, Msonda is responding to sentiments Namalomba made in an exclusive interview with the same radio station, a few days after Msonda had his own interview there.

Msonda dares Namalomba to try to ‘kill me see the consequences you will suffer’.

“Ine ndinatsanzika pochoka kumudzi kwathu kupita ku Blantyre. Ndinali ndi agogo anga omwe adandiletsa kunyamuka tsiku limene ine ndidakonza chifukwa anali asadamalize kundipempherera kwa Mulungu (I bade farewell to my ancestors because going to Blantyre. I had prayerful ancestors who invoked the power of God on me before I left for Blantyre. Namalomba is too small,” says Msonda in the clip.

Namalomba could not be immediately reached for a comment on the matter.

The Msonda-Namalomba spat signifies the depth of hatred among DPP officials ahead of the court-sanctioned convention.

Meanwhile, the relegated DPP Secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey, has dragged his party leader, Mutharika, to court over the recent assignment the latter made barely some hours after Jeffrey convened an NGC meeting in Lilongwe.

In the recent assignment, Mutharika assigned Jeffrey to the position of Vice President for the Central Region and in her place, Clement Mwale has been appointment.

Jeffrey is fighting her recent appointment, arguing that, as someone who was elected at the convention, she can only be removed for her position at a convention.

Agriculture stakeholders have expressed concerns with the rate at which aflatoxin is spreading in groundnuts and other grains, saying this is negatively impacting commodities’ international markets and human’s health status.

The stakeholders were convened by Mwapata Institute at Ufulu Gardens in Lilongwe where they wanted to find ways of dealing with the issue and increase its awareness after research by Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) found that there are some people who do not know more about aflatoxin.

Mwapata Institute’s Executive Director, William Chadza, says the impact has hit the agricultural diversification aspect hard in terms of commodities the country can put on foreign market.

“The other dimension is that it pauses the human risks to consumers as they are also consumed by Malawians at household level”, says Chadza.

He is suggesting that there should be more awareness of how to handle the grains after harvest to avoid aflatoxin.

“With a lot of awareness in terms of practice both at farmer level in production and also managing the harvest. They should note expose them to situations that can increase levels of toxins’, he adds.

Now, Ronald Ngwira who is managing director for Mwapata Institute says research of this kind is essential in the implementation of MW2016 visions.

He says if the visions are to be realistic, there has to be measures that can boost the country’s exports of which grains are among them hence they need to be protected from aflatoxin.

“We need to export more products and if our grains are to be accepted, we have to be free from aflatoxins. As indicated, we have high levels of aflatoxins in maize, groundnuts as well as beans hence something must be done”, said Ngwira.

Meanwhile, Professor Limbikani Matumba from LUANAR has assured the general public that all is not lost as current challenges can be corrected.

He says people should not stop taking the grains as they are healthy for their bodies.

The meeting was also attended by various farmers, donor community, civil society organization, government departments and agriculture ministry and it was under the theme: ‘Understanding Aflatoxin Contamination in Malawian Grains’.

As the rift in the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) continues to deepen, party leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika on Sunday fired Kondwani Nankhumwa as vice president for the Southern Region.

Mutharika has since appointed Nankhumwa – a DPP presidential aspirant – as his own advisor on undisclosed affairs.

Nankhumwa has been fired alongside the party’s Director of Women Cecilia Chazama. In their place, the former Head of State has appointed his cousin, George Chaponda, as vice president for the South while Mary Navicha is now the party’s Director of Women.

The firing (re-assignment) of Nankhumwa and Chazama come barely a day after Mutharika moved the party’s Secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey to the position of vice president of the Central Region, replacing Uladi Mussa, who was recently pardoned by President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera from his jail sentence.

Jeffrey has since dragged APM to court, arguing only the convention can remove her since she was elected at a party convention ahead of the 2029 tripartite elections.

Nankhumwa was not immediately available to comment on his firing.

But commenters are condemning Mutharika for his undemocratic tendencies and suppressing democracy in the party.

Head of the Catholic Diocese of Mangochi Bishop Montfort Stima has condemned the tendency by the opposition to shun national events, warning that this has the potential to divide the nation.

Stima, who was speaking in his capacity as the moderator of the National Day of Prayers on Thursday, said the decision by the opposition to stay away from the national events does not give hope to Malawians.

He challenged that it is high time politicians to consider the welfare of poor Malawians ahead of everything.

“It’s as if we are now living in two worlds: one for the ruling and the other for the opposition. But that’s not Malawians voted for when they chose multiparty democracy,” said the cleric.

Stima warned that shunning national events such as National Day of Prayers would give a bad picture of the people in the opposition.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, Reverend Brian Kamwendo, has disclosed that his office and the Department of National Events extended invitation letters to all leaders of the opposition political parties in Malawi.

Kamwendo therefore dismissed claims by the opposition that they were not invited to the event.

Two cooperatives, the Community Savings and Investment Program (Comsip) and Housing Investment and Development Cooperative (HIDCO), have partnered in an effort to enhance property development that will result in the construction of a new shopping mall in the northen city of Mzuzu. 

Speaking on Thursday, officials from the two cooperatives said their partnership entails construction services provided by HIDCO in the project by some members of Comsip, one of the largest cooperatives in Malawi with over 50 000 members across the country. 

“We want our members to own property just like we see in countries like Kenya where cooperatives own property in cities and we aspire the same in Malawi,” said Chief Executive Officer of Comsip Tennyson Gondwe. 

Vice Board Chairperson of HIDCO, Andrew Likaka, says his cooperative does not only provide construction services but also building materials that are environmentally friendly and will be used in the project that will primarily provide space for members’ businesses. 

In the partnership, HIDCO will further render its services to the vast membership of Comsip which is a big market opportunity for construction service as farmers do invest massively in housing and warehouse structures. 

Managing Director of HIDCO, Robert Mbeza, explained that Comsip members will also have an opportunity to access services from HIDCO that include skills on environmentally friendly housing materials and construction, land for development in well designed residential areas in various districts in the country, among others. 

Comsip is a government affiliated institution that is transforming poor rural households into commercially oriented farmers and traders, having graduated from government handouts like social cash transfer and public works programs. 

With World Bank support, the cooperatives union is further orienting to self sustenance as it roots in commercial ventures, developing an asset base that emanates from members’ shareholding. 

On the other hand, HIDCO is probably the fastest cooperative and is unique in the property industry with members in both Malawi and diaspora, championing property investment by Malawians to set up high end housing infrastructure in well serviced designated areas the cooperative is developing. 

Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba has described the recently launched Civil Servants’ Medical Scheme as a great milestone in President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants in Malawi.

Zamba made the sentiments in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times on Friday, stating that the scheme will ensure that civil servants work under better conditions of service.

On Tuesday this week, President Chakwera launched the Civil Servants’ Medical Scheme, effectively ending a 14-year-old wait by the civil servants.

Apparently, the previous administrations failed to roll out the scheme due to what other quarters of the society have termed as ‘lack of political will’ to improve the welfare of the civil servants.

Thus, in her speech, Zamba commended President Chakwera for fulfilling his campaign promise to roll out the scheme.

“The President has barely been three years in office and his leadership has made sure that the civil servants are all eligible for medical insurance. This does not only underscore his commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants, but also his realization that the civil service is indeed the nerve center for implementation of government development agenda,” she said in an interview.

Zamba said the launch of the health insurance scheme is historic in the civil service of Malawi.

She therefore thanked President Chakwera for being consistent in ensuring that there is inclusivity in the civil service.

She further described the government’s decision to establish an in-house medical scheme to allow self-managed medical schemes, which the SPC said is less costly, and provides value for money as the government has better management and control over membership, resources, and settlement claims.

Zamba has since commended President Chakwera for among others spearheading the enactment of Malawi School of Government, entering into partnership with other stakeholders to assist in improving accountability and providing capacity building for Civil Servants across the country.

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Thursday dared Malawians to change their attitude and mindset towards national development, observing that the country fails to develop because citizens have squandered what God gave them to prosper.

“We see examples of times we receive good things and opportunities from God that do not improve our well-being or transform our nation because we squander those things and opportunities on things that simply feed our pride and facilitate our wickedness. So God says to us that it is not enough to ask him for good things and opportunities when we pray. We must prepare ourselves to be good stewards of the good things we want from God by laying down our pride and setting aside our wicked ways,” said Chakwera.

He made the remarks during the National Day of Prayers, which took place at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Thursday.

Citing a biblical story of King Solomon, President Chakwera emphasized the need for Malawians to change their attitude by humbling themselves and to change their conduct by leaving their wickedness.

He challenged Malawians to ask themselves why God does not answer their prayers, stressing that God’s silence on people’s appeals could be a sign that people’s motives for the prayers do not please Him.

“So, now that we have presented our appeals to God through prayer, we must heed God’s own appeal to us to remove our prideful attitude and renounce our wicked ways, because pride and wickedness either hinder us from receiving God’s blessings or cause us to squander those blessings after we have received them. Just consider the blessings we have already received from God as a nation, but which are squandered every day because of our pride and wickedness.

“We have a lake with more fresh water than most nations in the world, but we cannot pump it into people’s homes because any proposed project to do so gets blocked by ourselves because we are too proud to support each other’s ideas. We have fertile land in abundance, but we cannot use it to produce food to feed the world because any program we set up to give our farmers inputs gets corrupted by our own wickedness and greed in the procurement process. We have beautiful attractions and weather that makes Malawi a great destination for tourists, but we cannot create friendly conditions for bringing tourists here because any attempt to change our regulatory framework gets blocked for selfish reasons. We have young people who are energetic and creative enough to bring innovation and transformation into every sector, but they are denied the opportunity to do so because some who hold decision-making positions in the public and private sector are too selfish to give others opportunities to contribute to the change we seek,” said Chakwera.

He added, “We have governance institutions that are equipped and empowered to serve the interests of poor Malawians and to facilitate development, but they are not able to do this because those who head these institutions lose focus and become distracted by their own prideful desire to use their powers to fight useless personal wars with each other. We have millions of Malawians who are united by their faith in God and their desire to transform the country, yet they are not able to unite in developing the country because of prideful leaders who constantly provoke the people to be angry and to refuse to work together.

But God says that if we want him to answer our prayers, if we want him to heal our land, then we who claim to be his people must first humble ourselves and stop participating in wickedness. So as we leave this place of prayer, let us go back into our respective stations and conduct ourselves with enough humility to work together, not alone or against each other. Let us go back into our respective stations and conduct ourselves with enough integrity to work for the common good, not for our selfish interests.”