SPEECH BY HON. DR. G. CHAPONDA, MP MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT & RURAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE INTEGRATED SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP MOUNT SOCHE HOTEL BLANTYRE ON 8 th March 2006
The Secretary for OVOP The Director of Local Government Services All Directors and Senior Government official from Government Departments The Chief Executive Blantyre City Assembly All District Commissioners preset here Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. 2
It is with great honour and indeed pleasure that I welcome you all to this workshop during which you will be looking at the Integrated Rural Development Strategy. Let me also thank you all for your presence here. Indeed it is my singular privilege that this morning I will preside over the official opening of this very important Workshop on Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy. This is a very auspicious occasion Ladies and Gentlemen, because as you are aware His Excellency has among other important
issues laid a lot of emphasis on Rural Transformation. To facilitate this rural transformation the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development whose mandate includes policy formulation and coordination of Rural Development. For some of you who may not be aware the motto of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is Promoting participatory Local Governance and Local Economic Development in Malawi. It is in the framework of promoting Local Economic Development that the Integrated Rural Development Strategy has been developed. 4
Although the concept of Integrated Rural Development is not new to Malawi, the current attempt seeks to implement the programme against His Excellency Dr Bingu wa Mutharika s vision of transforming rural areas into viable economic enclaves. It is also being advocated against a background of significant gains made through Democratic Decentralization and Decentralized Development Planning that have been under implementation since 1998. Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Participants, I have just pointed out that the concept of Rural Development is not new to this country. Indeed the concept of Rural 5
Development dates back to the early 1960s and since then Rural Development in Malawi has undergone various cycles. Allow me to highlight just a few examples with aspects of integration. These include the National Rural Development Programme, the Rural Growth Centres Programme, and District Focus for Development Concept. All these programmes have had their own positive impacts and implementation challenges that you will share in the course of the workshop. However, it has been observed, Ladies and Gentlemen that most of these rural development attempts have focused on 6
improvement of the public infrastructure and the provision of social services with limited focus on promotion of economic development or promotion of the business sector. Close review of current government policies including the review of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is becoming evident that unless rural development include activities which promote economic activities with the objective of improving employment and income opportunities of rural communities, the impact of other interventions will not be felt and poverty levels will remain high among the rural poor. The design of the Malawi Growth and 7
Development Strategy provides the framework for economic growth and development. You will agree with me that while some progress has been achieved at national level, poverty has persisted at household level especially in rural areas. One of the main reasons for this situation, Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Participants, has been the lack of integrated strategies to reach and empower the socially and economically poor communities due to over-centralized decision-making and implementation process. This workshop will therefore accord you an opportunity to mull over possible solutions to address these challenges. 8
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, at this juncture allow me to say something on the Current Legal and Policy Framework for Rural Development in Malawi. I am sure that most of you are aware that the 1995 Republican Constitution enshrines Local Governments as key to national development and good governance. In 1994, as a way of consolidating democracy, the Government decided to pursue the decentralisation approach that is widely known as devolution. The idea is to devolve Central Government powers, functions and resources to Malawians through their local governments. This approach is embedded in the Decentralisation 9
Policy of 1998, and is backed by the Local Government Act of December 1998. Decentralisation, Ladies and Gentlemen, entails collapsing of central government structures at the district and lower levels into one local government structure that would be assigned responsibility of delivering basic services. This is expected to improve the delivery of public goods and services to people at all levels, especially in rural parts of the country. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure that I am not betraying my credence if I assume that you are all aware that since May 2004 the Current Administration has put Rural Development and Rural 10
Transformation at the centre of its development agenda and that the Presidency has singled out the transformation of the rural areas as the most effective way of accelerating socio-economic development. As part of the strategy for promoting rural transformation, the State President has established the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to coordinate the process of rural development. Additionally, he has established a Cabinet Committee on Local Government and Rural Transformation. This is manifest of a Political Championship and testimony of the government s commitment to poverty reduction through rural development. The State President s 11
pronouncements point to a rural development strategy that calls for investment in the productive sector; promotion of local economic development; and indeed the integration of all rural investments at specified geographical areas. For this to happen there is need for all key players in rural development to compliment each other. The success of rural transformation therefore requires adoption of an Integrated Rural Development Strategy, which is provided for synergies and linkages of the investment menu. For example where a health centre is being constructed those responsible for supplying energy, water should do so 12
and like wise road improvement should be done at the same time. The overall goal of the Integrated Rural Development is to transform rural areas into socially, politically and economically viable enclaves that contribute positively and significantly to growth and overall sustainable development of Malawi. Improving food security, incomes of the rural households and access to quality social and economic infrastructure is not only essential but imperative if the goal of rural development is to be attained. The objective of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development 13
Strategy is to resuscitate the rural economies and advance the cause of rural areas as potential engines of economic growth that would contribute towards their own development and the broad national development agenda as defied in the Malawi Growth and Development Agenda The current strategy therefore includes the following key elements:- Infrastructure and Economic Growth Points; Skills development for economic empowerment; Agriculture and natural resource management 14
Rural credit Small scale and medium rural industries; and Safety nets The reason you are gathered here is to critically look at the proposed strategy and assess its adequacy in realizing the vision of the President. It is out of the strategy that an Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme will be developed. Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Participants, lastly but the least I wish you to urge you to fully participate of which I don t doubt you will for you are the people with the 15
relevant expertise. I also would like to wish very fruitful deliberations at this forum and it is my sincere hope that the outcome of this Workshop will go a long way in improving the lives of the majority of rural Malawians. With these few remarks, Ladies and Gentlemen, I declare the Workshop on Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy officially opened. God Bless you all. 16