Government says the coming in of more donor partners in the Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) signifies the trust and confidence the international community has in government.
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola-Banda made the remarks on Wednesday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) when he presided over the signing of financing agreement of about $447 million towards implementation of social protection programmes in Malawi.
Chithyola-Banda said of the amount about US$439.5m is from the World Bank, $4.4 million is from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and $3 million is from the Government of Iceland.
“The ceremony is a testimony that the MDTF is indeed a right vehicle for delivering social safety nets in a coordinated manner and the pooling of resources supports government’s efforts of reducing aid fragmentation and transaction costs through streamlining delivery and reporting systems. The MDTF funds are administered under a single governance structure, disbursed through a single window towards Malawi’s integrated and shock-responsive social protection system thereby helping strengthen government ownership and leadership in line with aid and development effectiveness principles enshrined in Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005 and recently, the 2022 Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation,” he said.
In his remarks the European Union Ambassador Rune Skinnebach said the Malawi Social Protection MDTF under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSTLP) will also cushion those vulnerable to climatic shocks, necessitate rapid response to a more resilient and satisfying future.
She called upon government to uphold the highest standards in ensuring that the funds benefit the poorest and the most marginalised people.
Reported by Mike Van Kamande
