The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III mid-term review report has exposed lapses in the implementation of the five year development agenda.
The report which was launched on Thursday at Bingu International Convection Center shows that in the two and half years of implementation of the development plan, the country has only achieved 31%.
For instance, the report shows that Malawi’s appetite for external borrowing has almost doubled.
The report also shows missed priorities in the channeling public funds on flagship projects.
Director General of National Planning Commission (NPC) Thomas Munthali admitted that the country has failed in the implementation of its flagship projects.
“We had 21 projects in transport sector only two have been implemented. In the education sector, construction of primary schools was progressing well. There were many projects that do not deserve to be referred as flagships. At the end of the day resources were thinly spread,” he explained.
State Vice President Saulos Chilima, who is also Minister for Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms, said much as the nation has done well is some areas, more has to be done in the areas that are lagging behind.
“We have too many ‘flagship projects’ most of which do not even fit the title. This has led to spreading resources so thinly with most of them just initiated and dying a natural death,” he said.
Chilima said resources should have been prioritized on few impactful long-term development projects in order to register impact within a short time in the lives of most Malawians.
He also hinted on the introduction of a revised MGDS 3 to re-align the Tonse Alliance administration’s transformative agenda.
Chancellor Kaferapanjira, Chief Economic Advisor to President Lazarus Chakwera, suggested the need for Malawi to work more on foreign exchange and debt management to ensure improvement of the economy.
Governance expert, Dr. Henry Chingayipe saidmoving forward, government should tighten screws in public expenditure and improve on transparency.
Malawi is currently implementing the five year MGDS III which started in 2017 and will end in 2022.
