Some sections of the civil society have faulted government over delays in launching the much-awaited Malawi Growth Development Strategy (MGDS III) despite the draft proposal being completed last year.
\nMGDS III is meant to replace MGDS II, which expired in June 2016.
\nUnlike its immediate predecessor, the new development blue print is built around a theme that aims to improve productivity, turn the country into a competitive nation and develop resilience to shocks and hazards.
\nMalawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) Executive Director, Dalitso Kubalasa, said the delays are surprising considering that the goals of the development plan were supposed to be part of the 2016\/2017 national budget.
\n\u201cWe are looking at the next budget and we don\u2019t have the strategy. Let us hope that the planning commission is working on the launch now,\u201d he said.
\nBut in a separate interview, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance,
\nEconomic Planning and Development, Davis Sado said preparations are underway for the launch of MGDS III.
\nHe said the strategy is at the printing level stage and that some ofthe copies have already been submitted to government and other key partners.
\n\u201cWe are yet to set a date for the launch, but everything is in place. We also have commissioners for the National Planning Commission,\u201d Sado said.
\nHe said priorities in the development strategy include agriculture, water development and climate change management, educat ion and ski l ls development, energy, industry and tourism development, transport and ICT infrastructure, among others.
\n\u201cMGDS III is designed to spur growth and remove barriers to development for the next five years. It is also the final strategy that will take Malawi to the realisation of Vision 2020,\u201d he said.
\nBut Kubalasa maintained that without vision people perish hence the need for government fast-tract the implementation of the development goals.
\n\u201cA blue print like MGDS III should be taken seriously by operationalising the plan for a better Malawi and time is of the essence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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