Govt will be strict on iron sheets, cement subsidy—Chilima

Malawi Government says it will be strict in scrutinising beneficiaries of its iron sheets and cement subsidy programme expected to roll out soon.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government, in its manifesto promised Malawians subsidised iron sheets and cement for better housing.

Vice President Saulos Chilima said in an interview on Wednesday this week that the subsidies also target poor households, not individuals.

“We have planned two categories of beneficiaries. The first group will be households living in grass-thatched houses.

“The second group is farmers growing strategic crops such as legumes. Once they supply their produce to the agricultural exchange market, they shall be entitled to an agreed number of iron sheets,” said Chilima.

To control corruption, Chilima said beneficiaries will be identified by Village Development Committees (VDCs), who will also be fingerprinted to avoid duplication.

In addition, Chilima said beneficiaries will require a finger stamp of the chief and will be phased out each year

“To avoid creating a secondary market, we intend to only subsidise 32 gauge iron sheets and restrict or discourage the use of these for houses in low and medium density locations,” he said.

He said finer details on the whole programme will be ironed out by a team of experts drawn from various sectors.

But economic analyst James Chikavu Nyirenda said, in his view, the programme is a non-starter, wondering how it will be funded.