Malawi has lost donor confidence—Mwezalamba
The massive looting of finances at Capital Hill has eroded donor confidence in Malawi said Minister of Finance Maxwell Mwezalamba.
However, he said restoring donor confidence will only happen if all the leakages that allowed the looting of public resources are sealed.
Said Mkwezalamba: “I am coming into this position (Finance Minister) when the country is facing a number of challenges, one of which is to restore donor confidence following the looting of public resources at Capital Hill. I would like to assure you that I am very committed to get to the root of the problem and have it sorted out, because failure to do that will have catastrophic consequences for the country.”
Mkwezalamba was speaking during the official opening of The Open Development for Evidence Based Policy workshop held in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised to build on Malawi’s commitment to aid transparency and management which has been demonstrated through the establishments of Aid Management Platform (AMP) in the Ministry of Finance.
Through the AMP all stakeholders will be able to locate on the map all the development projects taking place in the country through the geo-coding initiative.
“The launch of AMP marks yet another milestone in the open development agenda as all key stakeholders will have direct access to development aid data. This portal will also help us to stop abuse of public resources and our partners will be able to know how we are using their donations with ease,” said Mkwezalamba.
He said greater transparency on the part of government and its cooperating partners is critical to ensuring that the open development agenda is achieved.
United Nations resident coordinator Mia Seppo said that her organisation has provided support for Malawi’s primary and tracking mechanism for aid activities, the AMP since 2009.
With Muluzi we lost donor confidence and suffered. With Bingu it was the same over poor governance. With Joyce Banda we have lost it for theft. What a shame! We need other players.
Bingu was ok but the same amai was crying to Mzungu to win sympathy so that caused our fuel scarcity and shortage
of forex and many more problem. Good things do not last long.
Unfortunately, in Malawi there is no openness of idea sharing or open debates on the way forward for this country. I propose that we all must see the Malawi economy as an ‘oxcart economy’. It is growing slowly, with limited capacity to create jobs and limited capacity for wealth creation. After independence, MCP took over the management of the oxcart affairs. MCP had some achievements which many Malawians are familiar with. Many Malawians remember them and are proud of them. However, MCP did not transform the economy. UDF took over the operations of the oxcart economy. Now because many people are not clear about UDF achievements for some reason, I will highlight some to be fair as follows: Free primary education, Mzuzu University, Mzuzu High Court, Mzuzu Tobacco auction, New secondary schools across the country and Share world, Celtel and telekom, Malawi TV, Expanded Post offices, Masaf, New banks (FMB, Ned Bank, OI bank), Minibuses, Mwaiwanthu hospital. However, did not transform the oxcart economy. DPP took over the oxcart. Practically every Malawian agrees their first term was a resounding success. The second term success was rather mired in controversies. I will call it a set of achievements none the less including the Port which in my view is a great asset to the nation when operational. However, DPP did not transform the economy. PP (or ex DPP) are currently running the now 50 years old oxcart under local management! They have the opportunity to make a bigger impact than their predecessors, with the benefit of hindsight. It is too early to judge them but I like the floatation of the kwacha, and the consensus type (listening) of leadership. They will not transform the economy but carry on like the other parties before them. Does anyone see the emerging pattern that as a country we are following? How can we transform the economy away from the oxcart that is taking us no where?
Firstly, we must all acknowledge that we have a problem, the oxcart economy. Other terms for it may include primary economy, subsistence economy, or more arrogant teems including least developed economy, third world economy. I just give it a neutral name – oxcart economy for its archaic nature, and slowness in growth. Importing tractors to tow the oxcart will not take us anywhere. I suggest to you all that we must acquire a jet engine powered economy so we can start transferring our people from the oxcart into an aircraft with plenty of comfortable seats (jobs, employment and high std of living).Then the jet powered economy can take off and compete with the best nations in the world. When we are high up cruising like Singapore, we can look back down at the oxcart we have left behind, the smells of abject poverty, the unsightly diseases and deaths, the taste of nothingness in hunger and yes the pettiness of petty cash-gate crime. What will we gain in transformation? A non-reversible, sustained economic growth with opportunities for all our people. District centred economic boom, freedom for all Malawians to work anywhere in the country without fear and retributions. High earning Engineers, Doctors, Accounts, teachers etc rushing to get jobs in Chitipa, Dowa or Nsanje. Every part of Malawi will be buzzing and attracting high powered Malawians as sky scrapers will be mushrooming up everywhere.
The key is manufacturing ‘MADE IN MALAWI’ to spearhead our economic growth. Yes ‘grown in Malawi’ will also help but it cannot stimulate economic boom. Let ‘grown in Malawi’ benefit from manufacturing. For example, manufacturing will provide tools, implements and transport equipment. Mwanza farmers will become millionaires since their tangerines (manachesi) will be sold all over the country shipped in container loads every day to reach as far away as Mzimba, Rumphi and Karonga in addition to being exported. Imagine the gold in avocado pears that can benefit our people in Mulanje, Casava in Zomba, Mangos in Mzimba or Karonga rice to name but a few. Well packaged and timely shipped across the country to turn local farmers into true millionaires. Mechanised production is what is needed in Malawi. Unfortunately, people do not understand what that means. It does not mean importing tractors or farm implements to mechanise but make them here!!! Manufacture, tractors, cars , clothes, aircrafts, rail lines etc. That is what MADE IN MALAWI means not selling ‘dug up in Malawi’(mining) , born in Malawi (export labour), or just freshly grown in Malawi (veges). That is the transformation the country needs. Presidential candidates must aspire to transform this country not just change by buying new tires for the oxcart. Malawi needs a jet engine powered economy!
I sometimes think that Malawians are incapable of governing themselves. Maybe we are only fit for chiefdoms and that is probably why it features highly on the presidential agenda. Do you mean that we have to start hiring expatriate for senior government officials just because we cannot trust our own? There was talk on ERP almost everyday but who can tell me that there is a single government project that is reflecting that? How about austerity?Can anyone tell me that the way the executive office engages itself takes consideration of austerity? So many companies that have been involved in corruption are known and yet owners of these companies are walking free. Does this make sense? Obama has an office where he meets regularly with officers and secretaries to check progress and so are many leaders in this world. I dont seem to get the same sense with the Malawi situation. If this is happening when does it happen. As Chakwera said, the president needs a job description and has to be in the office most of the times to steer government. No wonder donors think we are not serious and indeed we are not. Look at the comments by the German embassy just after revelations of cash gate and read how he commented on Angela Merkel and see what it means for Malawi and its leadership
I can’t agree more with above. I am the new Player. I am the Man. I am the One that will get MW on its feet and start crawling back the 200 years dvevelopment deficit my country is in now. I just read at the The Nation Newspaper website this Health Minister apparently explaining the unprecedented death rate at our beloved KCH as because he sent a stupid truck to Beira to collect the much valued medical supplies and now its broken down. Trust me your time is over Health Minister. No place for joller like you in my gopvernment. Send a Chopper to offload those supplies or you are telling me we don’t have a chopper now? U just been fired. I cant explain to my people how a truck full of medical supplies got stuck in Beira for starters. So you go quick.
Now on passing the new so called modern Education Bill, apparently the last one was enacted in 1967 or something. Yes I read this on Malawiana website. This lady minister goes about arguing her case. I thought she is must be deluded like the rest. She says education has to be compursory because its evident how we cheat and tell the electorate lies and get away with it. She is a joke. She thinks she is smart that Malawians don’t know that she is lying at them. She thinks Malawians are illeterate and hence they can’t tell a lie from the truth. Trust me its because they cant do anything about it. They cant knock you out of your sit because its fixed and rigged right from the primaries. And to start deluding that its because the majority are ignorant that you get away with your incompetence and utter uselessness is rubbish.
Your time is over because I am coming to show this lot what it means to run a country with people in it. They cant even nthink of how we can fund our budget. They made people believe its impossible so the whole counrty is on benefits. You think there are no smarter Malawians out there than you? You have spoiled so many peoples dreams. So many lives have materialised to nothing due to your lack of know how really. I will fund the bugdet or atleast start increasing the percentage we self fund it. Thats the key to a better Malawi. And dont tell me it cant be done. Coz you are rubbish. I am coming to save my son’s dream and son’s and daughters dreams of those that will share the view like mine. He want to play for Arsenal and I need a working football acadamy for him and other aspiring kids.
To the Nation Newspapers, You may not know me but I once wrote to you offering to do you a decent website free of charge because what you had then was whack. Congratulatiuons for improving the outlook and its much improved for now atleast. I live in Uk and I want a column on your newspaper so I can start writing more often. I ran away to save my dream because Bakili Muluzi was killing it.
Regards to all,
everyday donor donor donor donor we are sick and tired of this . lets copy from zimbabwe no donors but economy is now very sound without donors.
You need an education , in economics at least . Zim uses green backs ( us dollars ) because they have an asset base to bench the dollars on ( gold, platinum ) … They could buy enough dollars for circulation just with their minerals. How are we going to get dollars for circulation and even If we do …. We barely produce anything the world is interested in . Until we start producing and governing our meagre resources efficiently …. Basitu ma donor omwewo woye!!