Ministry says development can reduce child labour
Deputy labour commissioner Wafwile Musukwa says economic development is key to substantially reduce the rate of child labour.
Speaking during the final day of the two-day seminar on Child Labour Elimination in Lilongwe, Musukwa said in the absence of economic development, especially at household level, child labour will remain difficult to eliminate.
He said: “In our view, as government, we take child labour seriously because parents and guardians will need enough resources to look after the children. These [resources] should be provided so that they [children] would not go to look for piecework to find food or clothing.
The seminar, held at Bingu International Conference Centre (Bicc) in Lilongwe, discussed a wide range of issues that highlighted child labour.
Musukwa said the ministry will soon present the Child Labour Policy to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) for consideration by Cabinet.
The policy seeks to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework, enhance the fight against HIV and Aids as it relates to child labour through interventions to protect children from child-headed families from engaging in child labour.
In recent years, there have been initiatives by stakeholders to eliminate child labour on estates producing tea and tobacco, among others. n
