Vision 2020 successor formulation to cost K904m

National Planning Commission (NPC) says the development of the Vision 2020 successor document will cost about K904 million.

The successor blueprint, National Transformation 2063, is currently being developed and is scheduled to be launched in July 2020, according to a roadmap of the process for formulating the document by NPC.

In an interview on Wednesday, NPC director general Thomas Munthali said  the estimated cost will also cater for drafting, validating as well as the actual launch of the document.

He called on government to take full charge of developing the National Transformation 2063 to avoid a situation where the country’s long-term vision is driven by donors.

Launched in 1998, Vision 2020 is set to expire next year.

It has over the years been used as a guiding document for the country’s national development plan towards sustainable national development.

In an interview, Alliance Capital Limited research manager Bond Mtembezeka said it is important for Malawi to borrow a leaf from Rwanda which he said is the best epitome of long-term vision and planning.

“When [President] Paul Kagame came in, he set up an economic blue-print for Rwanda and since its inception, there has never been a deviation from it.

“That is why we see Rwanda doing extremely well in all fronts,” he said.

On his part, a Togo-based Malawian Alex Nkosi, who is a policy analyst at International Trade Union Confederation, tipped crafters of the National Transformation 2063 to take stock of the Vision 2020 and learn from its weaknesses and strengths.

“Vision 2020 was long killed and buried even before its aspirations could bear fruits and only a few Malawians actually recall now that we had such a vision,” he said.

NPC has since outlined several activities it intends to carry out until the launch of the plan next year.

Some of the core activities include consultative meetings with donors to market the roadmap to the new plan, procurement of capital equipment, engagement with the media and consultants, conducting  a joint research symposium as well as other sensitisation activities.

Meanwhile, NPC has assembled a Core Advisory Panel of 41 experts to offer advice on the country’s new vision and proposed development agenda in the Vision 2020 successor document. The panel is chaired by former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor (economic affairs) Naomi Ngwira with former Secretary to the Treasury Ronald Mangani as vice-chairperson.