Malawi Set To Meet All UN ‘SDG's'

Having met four out of eight agendas in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Malawi is set to make another record of success in the achievement of ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs)

Both MDGs and SDGd are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability.

President Mutharika ready to implement SDGs

The just ended 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted new resolution which consists of 17 SDGs and 169 targets and will form a development blueprint for the next 15 years.

President Mutharika was addressing the Journalists at Kamuzu Palace on Thursday evening after returning from his UN General Assembly trip when he courageously said his government is committed to ensure successful implementation of SDGs.

Asked on how his government is this time around set to localize the newly adopted resolution to support the country’s dream of ending poverty as well as attain sustainable economic growth, the President said number of activities have already been put in place and others will be introduced.

Among approaches to implement the SDGs Mutharika says he is set to empower 80% of Malawians working in farming by making sure that their produce are sold at high price so that they earn better income.

“80% of our people are in rural areas and are all farmers, they are the one’s who produce all things that we eat.  The only way we can end poverty is to make sure that they earn income for their product.” He said

To achieve this President Mutharika said Malawi has already identified number of cash crops among them legumes which will be traded through Commodity Exchange, and that he will also encourage formation of cooperatives so that farm produces are bought at reasonable prices.

Mutharika also mentioned that programmes that targets utra-poor families including public works programme and cash transfers will be strengthened as a way of meeting SDG’s targets.

“We have another programme is that of Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The Minister of Trade met them in New York and they will soon come to Malawi to work with Malawi banks. They will be providing small loans to small and medium businesses for money starting from K8 million to K100 million.

If so many people can access to these loans, are able to start businesses then they are no longer poor.” Added Mutharika

The President further said Community Training Colleges which he introduced, will be one of the approaches to meet the SDGs. He said Government will promote and provide technical, entrepreneurial and vocational skills training and development to the youth in rural areas through Community Colleges. Graduates from such colleges will be provided with starter packs “so that they can start their own businesses.” He said

Mutharika has emphasized that there is no doubt that Malawi will do better in the implementation of SDGs because there are more lessons from the past specifically in implementation of MDGs.

“Malawi did not succeed in MDGs as we wanted.” said President Mutharika

“We started on wrong assumptions and we ignored the supply side. For example we said there should be universal primary education but we forgot that we need teachers, buildings, teaching materials, textbooks. We said there should be universal health but we forgot that we need doctors, drugs and medical buildings. So we did not succeed.

But the SDGs have taken a different approach. Unlike MDGs, each SDG have targets which is very important for the implementation side” said Mutharika

Attaining record of success of meeting SDGs targets will help Malawi to accelerate reduction of poverty levels that remains high among Malawians although the country has now become one of the shining example among African countries for doing extremely well in the MDGs.