Mejn, MCCCI want action on MGDS III
Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) and Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) have stressed the importance of implementing ideas contained in the third Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III) which was launched yesterday by President Peter Mutharika.
Both Mejn and MCCCI were reacting after the launch of the strategy at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, which President Mutharika touted as a compilation of hopes and dreams of many Malawians.
“It is our responsibility to make sure that we invest in implementing this strategy and that is when we will be able to see the transformation that we so wish to see for Malawi…,” Mejn Executive Director Dalitso Kubalasa said.
The MGDS III, which is expected to be implemented under the theme ‘Building a Productive, Competitive and Resilient Nation’ is a medium-term strategy designed to contribute to Malawi’s long-term development aspirations.
Key priority areas in the K8.6 trillion 2017-2022 strategy are agriculture, water development and climate change management, education and skills development, energy, industry and tourism development, transport and ICT infrastructure and health and population.
While emphasising on the need to compel all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and development stakeholders to get involved, Kubalasa said the past is for the country to learn from and perhaps Malawians have failed to learn from failures because they are too obsessed with defending failures.
“Let’s admit that failures are failures and that failures are opportunities for us to do well,” he said.
MCCCI President Karl Chokotho said the strategy is talking about the nation becoming productive and that means the policies have to be aligned to really promote production to the point of exporting.
“Government agrees that we all have to work towards resolving the issue of power, which is highly critical for production. In essence, we need to put all the ingredients together to make this thing work,” Chokotho said.
Mutharika described Malawi as a rich country with many poor people saying the strategy best represents the priorities of Malawians in their pursuit for socio-economic growth.
“The development strategy represents the collective hopes and dreams of the people, the convictions and aspirations of our nation. This strategy is our home-grown policy for developing our country as we understand it. As a sovereign nation, we have agreed on what is good for us. Let us implement this strategy collectively,” Mutharika said.
Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Richard Mkandawire, said the commission plans to translate the strategy into some local languages and engage different development stakeholders including Malawians in the diaspora to benefit from their potential and knowledge.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
