Housing subsidy to create 35 000 jobs

Government’s five-year Decent and Affordable Housing Subsidy Programme will have created over 35 000 jobs by the time it finishes, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Atupele Muluzi has said.

Muluzi said this in Mangochi last Thursday when he launched the programme in the district.

“The programme, apart from providing decent and affordable housing to low-income and vulnerable households, will indirectly create 35 000 jobs for Malawians. The jobs include local artisans, building material suppliers and transporters,” he said.

“The local artisans will provide wooden door and window frames, doors and satchels. The building material suppliers will employ other people and the transporters will engage loaders and off-loaders. Hence, enable loafing Malawians in rural areas earn a decent living as there is no need for them now to travel to cities to look for such jobs,” he said.

“Government will build 80 houses in each constituency every year and this will definitely need a lot of people to work. In a nutshell, this is a very important government programme which will absorb various skills of people.”

Muluzi, however, warned officers who will oversee the project to be the epitome of integrity, saying he does not want to hear about funds being abused or suppliers delivering substandard materials.

Speaking earlier at the function, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa said government wants to help Malawians transform the outlook of the rural areas with modern houses.

Since President Peter Mutharika launched the programme t Msampha 1, last December in Lilongwe, about 5 000 houses have been built and are at completion stage.

About 4 800 houses have been earmarked for construction in Mangochi in the five years.