Germany releases K1.8bn for LDF
Local government polls have enthused Germany, prompting it to release about K1.8 billion to support Malawi’s decentralisation process.
The funds were granted on Friday, a day after Malawians completed voting for a new president, parliamentarians and councillors in the closely contested May 20-22 polls.
Germany already committed about K5.9 billion to the Malawi Government in 2005 and the release of this tranche was inspired by the successful conduct of local elections.
German Ambassador to Malawi Peter Woeste said in a statement that he was delighted that the Joyce Banda administration managed to organise tripartite polls which previous governments failed to do.
“Malawians have voted for [councillors] for the first time since 2000. I would like to express my sincere appreciation of the fact that the government under Banda has turned its promise into reality,” said Woeste.
Germany has been Malawi’s development partner since independence and had been supporting the country’s democratic decentralisation process with technical and financial assistance for over 10 years. It also supports Malawi in sectors of health and education.
