Usi dares councils to be creative on funding
Vice-President Michael Usi has urged local councils in the country to put extra effort to mobilise resources for their respective projects to supplement allocations from central government.
Speaking at Chikwawa District Hospital on Wednesday, he noted that some government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) solely rely on government funding.
Usi’s sentiment follows concerns by some district councils that low levels of government funding are one of the major challenges affecting service delivery.
He said: “Let us not get used to problems. It is us who change. Write a proposal and identify a donor who can help us because government cannot do everything on its own. So many people are just sitting, blaming government. Let’s blame our thinking.”
In May this year, Ministry of Local Government, National Unity and Culture indicated that the K3.2 billion councils were due to receive in the last financial year remains estimates, not arrears as it was due to resource constraints.
Secretary for Local Government Richard Hara said this in the wake of councils’ concerns that 20 councils were still owed about K3.2 billion for the 2023/24 fiscal year despite several queries to the Treasury.
He said authorities were addressing the issues as time goes, insisting that councils should know that the government budget is only an estimate. aware of the problem and will be
During his visit to Bangwe, Chilomoni, Nthukwa and Chirimba markets in Blantyre yesterday, Usi said his office is working with the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture to find a lasting solution for resource constraints most councils are facing.
He also said government has removed collateral as a requirement for small-scale businesspeople to access National Economic Empowerment Fund (Neef) loans to enable them to get the loan.
Usi further emphasised that Neef loans will benefit every interested small-scale business people regardless of their political affiliation.
He said: “From July [this month] to August you will get the Neef loan without collateral. These loan applicants shouldn’t be politicians because Malawi Congress Party, DPP [Democratic Progress Party], UTM and UDF [United Democratic Front] supporters are Malawians and even those without political parties should also benefit, but there is need for discipline.”
In an interview after the Vice President’s tour, one of the vendors at Chilomoni Market, Kondwani Kaonga, expressed excitement with government’s decision to remove collateral as a requirement to access the loans.
He said collateral has been a major challenge for most small-scale businesspeople to access Neef loans.
Usi is touring public institutions in the Southern Region and today he is scheduled to visit Mulanje District.
