Machinga District Council chairperson Steve Mkwatula has underscored the significance of the support from the Government of Iceland, saying it will improve service delivery in the district.
He said this on Tuesday when Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri signed a preliminary district programme partnership between the Embassy of Iceland and the ministry for a new phase of Iceland’s support programme targeting Machinga, Balaka and Salima districts.
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Under the programme, Iceland will provide funds to the districts to implement projects in the education, health, agriculture and climate change sectors.
Mkwatula thanked the Government of Ireland for the support, saying it will go a long way in strengthening service delivery at council level and improving the lives of our people.
“We are committed to upholding transparency, accountability and effective implementation,” he said.
In his remarks, Phiri warned that government will not tolerate corruption and other malpractices that disrupt the implementation of the projects in beneficiary councils
He said while development partners continue to channel support to councils, there is need for public officers and stakeholders to remain vigilant and hold each other accountable to curb corruption.
“The era of shielding corrupt and incompetent officers is over. All those found abusing public and donor funds will be booted out,” said Phiri.
Iceland Head of Mission David Bjarnason reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Malawi’s development agenda, particularly in the areas of health, agriculture and climate change.
“Strong performance, sound management and demonstrated results on the ground will be key factors in determining the scale and scope of future support,” he said.
