JB tells chiefs to manage parallel subsidy
President Joyce Banda yesterday asked traditional leaders to be in charge of the parallel Farm Input Subsidy Programme her administration has initiated to avoid political interference.
Banda met over 200 chiefs from across the country at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
Opposition parties blasted the meeting, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi wondering why she invited the chiefs when she meets them during her numerous travels.
One of the chiefs who attended the meeting told The Nation that the President spoke mainly about the Mudzi Transformation Trust and parallel subsidy programme.
“The President told us to be in charge of the subsidy programme. She made it clear that they were loans which must be repaid and that this can only happen if politics is removed,” said the chief.
The parallel fertiliser subsidy will be run by the Malawi Rural Development Fund (Mardef), according to the chief.
The chief added that President Banda explained about the Mudzi Transformation Trust. The President has been saying the trust is a vehicle that will bring development to rural areas.
Government has since 2005 implemented the Farm Input Subsidy Programme
(Fisp) which benefits about 1.5 million (US$46,583) smallholder farmers annually.
However, critics have argued that despite contributing to maize surplus, Fisp needs to have an exit strategy and that the programme is not sustainable.
