Chilima dares Malawians on wealth, job creation

Vice-President Saulos Chilima has appealed to Malawians to take part in the economic development of the country by venturing into viable businesses that will help to create jobs.

Speaking in Lilongwe yesterday when he toured projects under the Public Reforms Programme, the Veep stressed that for Malawi to develop and become self-reliant, it will take every citizen’s participation in development.

The projects he toured included Gwiritse and Acades cooperatives that are running commercial farming and value addition enterprises.

Chilima said: “For this country to move forward, it is us Malawians who will develop it. So, we need everyone to take part in the economic development of the country.

“This is not a game of football where others will just be spectators. We all need to take part. We should all be players in this for us to win.”

He added that even the job creation drive that  the Tonse Alliance has put forward as one of its key agenda items will require the support of Malawians who need to come up with investments that will see others being employed.

“This task should not be seen as a role for the President, Vice-President or ministries only, but everyone. Malawi can achieve  more if Malawians take part in development,” Chilima said.

He then called on Malawians to take farming as a business and also look into value addition for agri-products.

“Through value addition, more jobs will be created and the country will be relying on local products,” Chilima said.

He commended Gwiritse and Acades cooperatives for engaging in agribusiness projects that are also empowering women and the youth.

The Veep said the two cooperatives are good examples that Malawians can achieve more, adding such ventures should be scaled up so that more people become economically empowered.

In his remarks, Minister of Local Government Blessings Chinsinga, who accompanied the Vice-President on the tour, said through the reforms, Malawi has potential to develop.

“Already the country is witnessing fruits of reform programmes as councils are embarking on projects aimed at developing the country and improving the lives of Malawians,” he said.

On her part, Acades chairperson Madalitso Chipekwe asked government to have more projects that will help empower young people, saying her organisation benefited from the agriculture commercialisation project.

Meanwhile, University of Malawi economics professor Ben Kaluwa has said besides promoting skills development, government needs to increase access to financing to ensure that Malawians can afford loans and machinery for value addition.

In a telephone interview yesterday, he said such investments will help create jobs and boost the economy.

Chilima is this week visiting reform projects by district and city councils in the Central Region where he is also holding progress review meetings.

Yesterday, he visited Kauma Road and the two cooperatives before engaging in closed-door reforms meetings with Lilongwe City and District council officials.w

The country’s new development blueprint, Malawi 2063, seeks to turn Malawi into a middle income economy with a focus on inclusive wealth creation.