Chakwera against subsidy

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Lazarus Chakwera

…says privatisation is the solution

…refers to subsidies as a sickness

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President, Lazarus Chakwera, has asked government to stop supporting poor Malawians through subsidy programmes which he has declared as a “sickness” and “a threat to Malawi” while advising President Peter Mutharika to put in place a privatised market to fuel the country’s ailing economy.

Responding to President Mutharika who had stated while opening the 46th Session of Parliament that ‘Malawi was at a very critical stage’, the MCP leader said subsidies are “sinking Malawians deeper into dependency”. He claimed subsidies are a threat to Malawi and that such programmes are contributing towards the country’s worsening economic performance.

Lazarus Chakwera
Chakwera: Subsidies are a sickness

“Instead of building productive capacity to generate adequate revenues in future, the Executive is busy building consumption capacity – continuing with its expansion of such consumption avenues as the Malata and Cement Subsidy. Who in their right mind increases consumption when productivity is shrinking? Besides, when are we going to open our eyes to see that knee-jerk subsidy programs are the most vulnerable to abuse?” wondered Chakwera in his holds-no-barred speech.

The MCP leader promoted the private sector approach which he reasoned would stop people from being dependent on subsidy programmes by creating their own wealth through employment.

“Hindsight teaches us that these kinds of programs are ill-advised, ill-devised, and ill-executed. I do not mean to suggest that Malawians do not deserve better housing, but there is a better way to increase access to such amenities. We, in the MCP, believe that the best way to improve living standards and conditions is to increase the capacity of Malawians through private sector jobs and businesses that generate enough income for them to build their own houses”.

The Malata subsidy programme was initially devised to support vulnerable older and chronically poor people unable to have better housing. Likewise, the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) which started under President Bingu wa Mutharika aims to support subsistence farmers trapped in poverty who are in majority afford basic farm inputs.

Despite calling subsidies a ‘sickness’, Chakwera contradicted himself by acknowledging that “the pricing of agricultural produce is acrimonious for a majority of local farmers”  who he observed live under slave-like conditions without FISP. He then pleaded with the Peter Mutharika administration to speed up disbursement of FISP coupons.

“The lean and delayed FISP operations this year will have far reaching negative effects on crop productivity”.

A majority of people in the country rated as the world’s poorest rely on subsistence farming.

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167 Comments

  1. Some no. Of malavi disturb us in day give missed coll and taken our balans so pls do something…… +265882603399 this no…. Pls

  2. I Told U About Leadership But U Did Not Listen. Mwano Now Nkhwangwa Ili Mmutu.

  3. Chakwera and the Government U better come up with something Concrete. I agree with all the pple saying Malawi is poorest of all poorest countries in the world. It a country where even politicians can not survive without cheating & creating methods of survival.People in Malawi qualify for subsidy because 70% live below poverty line. Zero tambala per day. I do not support cheating, blind support for politicians, NO! Truth must be spoken lets be realistic subsidy has been there for more than 10 yrs but there is no real change on the ground. It’s year after year the subsidy budget goes up but the number of beneficiaries decreases we don’t understand the equation @all

  4. Subsidy my foot chaka chino zafika pa nyasi mpaka nov palibe chikuwoneka stupit govnt ndipo zoti kuli dpp sizikuziwika ingovomerani kuti zativuta

  5. Subsidy is never for free.. After using the subsidised fertilizer u get ur harvest and sell it then pay tax to the same government that provided cheap fertilizers to u…
    Not all people are farmers but u keep on giving out cheap fertilizers and after using that cheap fertilizer u go to the shop and buy an expensive packet of sugar… Hahaha hahaha
    #Dzuka_malawi_dzuka

  6. Chakwera is 100% right…. NDE anyani enanu mukuti chani? Since the introduction of subsidy how many Malawians have benefited from that system¿ a lot of malawians became lazy and for your own information, in the whole world, do u want to say its only malawi that has poor people¿ think before u comment, China was the poorest of us all but now it is one of the richest countries but they relied on unsubsidised agricultural system… People worked hard and paid tax to the government and then the government had money to devolop the country….
    #Subsidy is one way of stealing money in case u don’t know.. The same way the projects are run in NGOs.. U may think the beneficiaries are the ones in the rural areas ¡ but after those projects who drives The TXs, prados and the SUVs ….
    #Dzuka_Malawi_dzuka
    Kwacha kunjaku

  7. The problem is not subsidy. It is method. I was born, grownup, stayed and have had eaten Malawian food. Malawian food is maize, Prepared from Malawian soil. Our soil used to be fertile before 70s. It is not the case now. This is reason maize farmers need fertilisation to increase maize production, reduce food prices, reduce hunger, increase country’s economic performance by having healthy and strong people.
    Look here. No villager can surely afford a bag of fertilizer which is imported from outside Malawi. Who can talk of privatisation in a country where over 70% of population live below poverty line? Mr Chakwera should know that even civil servants in the capital can not afford a bag of fertiliser. How do we ensure food security in country where even politicians fight for government vehicles while rest of majority of population lead a ‘hand to mouth’ living?
    Malawi is poorest of all poorest countries in the world. It a country where even politicians can not survive without cheating and creating methods of survival.
    People in Malawi qualify for subsidy because 70% live below poverty line. Zero tambala per day. I do not support cheating, blind support for politicians, NO! Truth must be spoken. This is Malawi.

  8. Your comments are like what judas did to jesus you can’t trust Chakwera because you are sailing in the same boat to the govenment just pray to GOD

  9. I’m not a DPP fun,mr chakwera is out of order, your opposition style is brainless. I don’t see anything good from your mouth, even if you were to be a leader today we should have been in a big same mistake.
    I know am still young but i don’t see good leadership in you,i see a big destruction. Ukunama kwambili iweyo.

  10. Its total madness to completely get rid of all subsidies,mr opposition leader not everyone in malawi get fat paychecks that you get as benefits for your job

  11. N’dalayu ni mbouzi nzelu olibe atri.o’tembo okhalapo otsutsa koma siizi,n’nyasi kudowa.ikhala nkhani imeeyoh?

  12. Why You Alwayz Brainstorm The Presedent?If This Is Good You Would Have Told Him Before But Now Its Too Late To Save Jerusarem,therefore Hold Your Peace Dr Chakwere

  13. Mbuzi ingotsutsa chili chonse. Mmene zimayamba adali kuti, amatani? Bambo lapani mubwelere ku tchalitchi, zakukanikani izi!

  14. Bwelerani kwa ambuye ambuyenso abwelera kwa in. Kusutsa kwanu kwalowa bod a fisp yathandiza kwambiri chenicheni chomwe in mkufuna kunena ndi chain?

  15. ngati suger olimatokha ndi 7oo kuli bwanji fetereza ochoka kuja kwa malawi peter ndi munthu osanganizira athu ake two munthu paliponse akutenga ndlama amalawi palimbe pothawira voto ndiloti timazindikira madzi ali mnkosi china zonse izi ndi achair ubava muluzi ubava bingu ubava joicy ubava peter onsewa ndi ana a udf bambo wawo bakili muluzi sono ndiye zithu sizinga sithe pokhapokha tisithe chipani.

      1. Ukanakhala iwe ukanatani? What is 98 million if compared with 2billion yomwe akuti boma lagulira magalimoto a m’boma? Kunja kwacha kumapenya. Osafunsa kuti ma Hammer aja anapita kuti. Chakwera is right if a farmer can sell the farm produce at agud price, can buy fert, malata and cement on his/her own. Mind u we dont nid fert in most cash crops.

  16. did bingu get a medal from FAO out of this! stupid chakwera. even his siblings are surviving on this in his own constituency
    cheap campaign politics! tell us solutions not this rubbish!

  17. Mwana ukamulanda pesulo mpaseko kachidole kuti aziseweletsa. Inu simungavutike koma ife akumuzi mutitani poti kamaone kochepa koma kachimanga kokha kokazinga nd ko otncha kamapezeka

  18. let’s be realistic, subsidy has been there for more than 10 yrs but there is no real change on the ground. year after year the subsidy budget goes up but the number of beneficiaries decreases. subsidy benefits the big fish in government, its just another huge cashgate loophole. that same money given to a major company like illovo can produce enough maize to feed the nation. let’s invest that money in more productive projects rather than giving free fertiliser to rich people in the name of the poor.

  19. Subsidy hv to be their, but just change the procedure of handling the programme bt ndikutha kuona a chakwela chauzimu mwa iwo chawachokela bcz nw he is against the government becareful atupele be ready 2019 boma chakwela phuma he just the same like tembo and that guy frm nsanje they cnt help #malawi

  20. Thats true Dr chakwera,Fist program is adirty game right now,why can government start sumthing else to help poor malawians??its not al poor pple who get macopn subsidy,only few pple benefit out of 17million pple,Peter is afailure.

  21. kulandila za ulele siulesi koma mavuto nde wakumudz apeza bwanji 25000 ya feltilizer,akakhala mavuto anjala ndikagwedwe ka mvula.nde mukakhla pansana pa njovu musamat pans palibe mame.

  22. AMalawi anzanga kodi tidzakhala oona mtima liti kusiya ndale uko ndikuima pa choonadi? zoti fisp yalephera ndizabodza? kodi zolankhula wa opposition ndizopanda pake basi? sukulu ikufunikatu apa to have a third eye and start thinking outside the box.

  23. Olo mutamuuza FISP anenedwayo, ndale za Malawi sazikwanisa kkkkkk… Anthu mukudziwa kulongosola bwino kwabasi. Titangoti tayeseraniko u MP, lero, nzeru zonse ndi balalala kkkkkkk…
    Ine Nkhani yanga ndi yomwe uja basi. Amene adzalamulire bwino dziko la Malawi ndi Yesu basi.
    Tilinaowa onse ndi akuba, akukhutitsa mimba zao. Ife tili pompajabe ikafika nthawi yovota…

  24. Awa muni sazalamula ,mukuona mavuto alipowa has exposed human hearts of our leaders, kumalawi no subsidy, ngati kwa azungu kuli subsidy Malawi nkachani

  25. Sadziwa chomwe akufuna,ukakhala upresnt just wait until 2019 de constution cralified beter,as i can see chakwera he is nothing but empty tin,cuz he even doesnt no how to contribute someting to de nation.but he must no dat we r matured in democracy and we noi wat is gud for than kumangotilarikira each dy.

  26. Penapake bambo chakwera mufufuze kut m’malawi wakumudz amapeza zingat patsiku komanso pamene thumba linali pa k500 ena amalephera kugula pano k4500 ndiangat akwanitse nd njalai nanga atati asiye makopon kutsogoloku kudzakhala bwa?mzimu wanu uuse mtendere bambo inu

  27. Achakwela tithandizeni ife amalawi kuno ku lilongwe mulibe njira zina zimene mungathandizile boma pamavuto likukumananalo bwanji mukungoyankhula basi zatha lero muyankhula mawa muyankhula tikuvani koma bwanji osakhalilana pasi ndibomalo kupeza mayankho ndukuuza mavuto alilerowa anzanuwa ndikampeni 2019 chinaso nduwona ngati mulungu sadaikemo mphatso ya utsogoleli mwainu ineyo makola anga ndi amcp koma mmene mukuchitila inuyo simukutipatsa chiembekezo talongosokani mwina mulungu angaza sinthe maganizo painu 2019 chonde achakwela takozani ndalezanu kuti ifeso tithandike tiyen timange malawi

    1. Chitsiru iwe,chakwera akulakwitsa pati?Peter ngati alindi nzeru akutani kutsatira zomwe akunena chakwerayo? Ndiwe galu usatinyasepo.

  28. bulshit malawi24.!!!!!!!!! Son of bitches why do you want to tanish innocent person`s image..? Becareful with your headlines, you uneducated savages,,,,,,,,,,,,, leave chakwera alone………….. Malawi24 #pissed_off

  29. choyamba mziwe ntchito ya rda of opposition ndi pa kapen yake ananesokare poti Anthu enanu chirichose mumachiwona ngati chorondora mkanankhara akazi tikanati mhure,chifukwa pa joice Banda mnarikumbuyo kwake sopano mrikumbuyo peter penpen ndipati?

  30. Ndikhulupila munthu akakhala pabwino saganiza zot kunja kulinj chakwela akanakhala ngat munthu wakumuz yemwe amanva kuwawa kwa ulimi sibwez akunena zopusa ngat iz ayi akuyenela kumasusa kumene koma osat zilizonse ndiye kulephela ndale kumeneko

  31. Hey chakwera, give your possition to otherz so that they can do a great job to help government and help poor pipo

  32. Kunena chilungamo Ku Malawi umphawi sudzatha why from #Atcheya fetereza wa ulere Ankatipatsa Miyala m’malo mwa fetereza. kwabwerano Che Muyache #Bingo miyala yomweyo 50kg kumagawana anthu 6 kunena za njala ndiye zosakamba chaka chili chonse njala ndiye nkumati subsidy ili bho kuti kupusa kokha kokha

  33. very brilliant ideas..this is not polital as some people would say.at the recent ECAMA General Conference,Thom Mpinganjira described FISP as unsustainable& advised the president with his gvt to find ways of abolishing this program.the program is a thorn in malawians fresh& it is even against IMF directives just like any other subsidy.worst still,the program was planned/designed poorly i.e it targets the unproductive poor.surely this is one cause of inefficiency.

  34. He is right zaulele paka liti ndi zomwe zikupangisa kuti tizisauka kwambiri.Ndalama za fisp zikanagwira ntchito yina koma panepa ndi chimozimozi kubesa sizikupindula ndi pang’ono pomwe

  35. Kungokhala wa makani basi chili chonse, mwadzolowera kutenga chopereka kwa anthu ovutika ndi kale mu church nde zikuonetsa kuti mukadzawina muzidzatoleranso nkhuku zija munkatolera mu nthawi ya ulamuliro wanu uja wa MCP. a Chakwera tawonetsani anthu kuti mutha kudzasintha dziko posatsatira ulamuliro wa mbiri ya kale yoyipa ya chipanicho. mpiratu umaphweka akamasewera ndi wina, iwe umasanduka coach nde za inuzo.

  36. Chakwera is mistaken he should be able to give immediate solutions to problems not just criticising for the sake of being an opposition leader. If he (Chakwera) is against social protection then he is against the interest of the poorest households in Malawi.

  37. Hahaha Amalawi kugwa m’manja a Mulungu wa Moyo mkoopsa zedi,tawaoneni achakwela akuonekelatu kt agwa m’manja mwa Yehova adayambitsa suasidy ndi Mulungu a Chakwela onani Moyo muli nawowo ngwaulele simulipira kodi akanati tizilipira pano muliko? Leave Muthalika alone to lead this country.

  38. He might be right if we take the issue with a sober mind, the question we need to ask ourselves is, since the subsidy program started is it benefiting the country or individuals? If the answer is yes, then why is it that we experience hunger every year?

  39. dont overblow the issue. The topic has been going on for sometime now. Donors have been against FISP,local economists the same. It is only because our political parties have made FISP as a campaign tool is the reason why it is still on. Rewind to 2009 DPP Manifesto and the Bingu speeches will attest that FISP was under threat. The same with last year. Chakwera has just echoed what is already there. CNN had a programme on Malawi food policy and i remember a lady economist who rubbished the programme that Malawi is living in “make-believe world” with FISP and one we have to leave the system. The problem is how to get out for political fear. This hiking from K500 to K4500 is a starting point. By 2016/17 it will jump to K10000. Mark my word.

  40. Hahaha Amalawi kugwa m’manja a Mulungu wa Moyo mkoopsa zedi,tawaoneni achakwela akuonekelatu kt agwa m’manja mwa Yehova adayambitsa suasidy ndi Mulungu a Chakwela onani Moyo muli nawowo ngwaulele simulipira kodi akanati tizilipira pano muliko? Leave Muthalika alone to lead this country.

  41. Kkkkkk…Chakwera wabaizika nazo ndale, wafika potsutsa ndi zabwino zomwe. Mwina sindimamva bwino kapena. Ndekuti ukakhala otsutsa Ku parliament, udindo wako ndikutsutsa chilichonse chomwe chakambidwa? Ukangovomereza zinthu ndekuti sikukwanitsa ntchito? Kkkkkkk…akulu Awa ndikukhulupirira olo Ku church Ko anali otero basi.

  42. Koma abusa awa chonse ndi palipose is against , kodi achakwera kumene ndi kufuna za anthu amalawi kapena zawo polota u state president?? muziwe kuti chinthu akachifunisisa kwambiri ndikuchiyendera munjira ya chiwembu,ufiti ndi yolakwika pomwe ukunamizira dzina la mulungu sizimatheka

    1. Chakwera is right. Iweyo ambuyako ndianyakwawa ndiye munazolowera kuba makoponi thats why mukudana ndi mfundo zabwino za Dr. Chakwera. Makutu ako wamva.

    2. Iya chakwera azafera pa opposition pompo akamfunse Tembo……..sangawine ameneyi u president. Iyaaa. Akagwere.

  43. chakwerah was deceived by the devil to dump Gd’s work n start making money. In other news,,, Chakwerah has earn a big boost from the Devil,,, he will fly to the Red sea to receive his blessings. He has followed the path of his brother who was swallowed by the big fish,, unfortunately Jonah changed from his evil deeds,,, Chakwerah will not do that, as his punish he will not rule the country of Malawi… Can I have 9 likes for this

  44. No he z not against everything but kukonza zin2 zomwe zikuphinja+kusapindulira a Malawi,,,mudzidziwa kut maonedwe abwino akayendesedwe ka dziko amakhala mwa an2 otsutsa but coz iwo ndi a ndale president samafuna kumvera mfundo zawo olo zili zothandiza

    1. Zoona #Manzy ukuganixa ngati ine chifukwa eti kuli subsity koma xinthu zikukwelabe mitengo ndiye palibwino kusiya subsity yo ndikutsitsa mitengo xinthu not mu dzina la subsity

  45. Chakwera watani kodi ungotsutsa zirizotse, ngati abale ako ali olemera ukuona ngati ndiife amene ndiolemera, ukuona ngati munthu wakumudzi angakwanitse kugula feteleza k25 000 akayitenga kuti eeh? Abusa mutu wanu tsukugwira sure ndipo fundo zake zimenezi simungalamule nazo dziko ndithu.

  46. the man is agaisnt everything.No wonder he was against God by leaving the preaching of the gospel and take politics as a full time job

    1. being in opposition is no easy sir!it needs someone to plan a good strategy of transforming the nation not only opposing even good procedures of moving forward!we are in economic crisis,yes everyone agrees and sees but what should we do now to change this whole situation as we are heading to 2019?MCP always campaigns,while other parties are busy trying to develop the citizens

    2. Chakwera wasanduka john tembo,no wonder mcp its like that,pay closs attetion to chakwela u will know what can of man he z,abusa amakhala amtima woipa like that,chakwera God choose u as busa not predent of malawi,just know sudzalamulira malawi get it in ur head…..ukhalira yako yomweyo yodana chilichose.

    3. ndipo ndiye tili kutali ndi general election ,mmalo mobweretsa mfundo za chitukuko angotsutsa zili zonse!pali amene sakuwona olo kudziwa kuti zinthu sizikuyenda bwino?koma nanga titani kuti zikonzeke zinthuzi abale!a Chakwera angotsutsa basi eishhh

    4. at the General Conference of ECAM,Thom Mpinganjira described FISP as unsustainable& further advised gvt to find ways of abolishing it..this is not a political move,for only those who are knowledgable enough,FISP jxt like any other subsidy is a thorn in malawians fresh.it is even against IMF directives.worst still,the program was planned/designed poorly i.e it targets the unproductive poor

    5. My friend , don’t forget we are living in a Democratic state wea any man has a freedom to express his say . Don’t point yo fingers kwa Chakwera , otherwise he is expressin his views like you had done here . MCP don’t oppose for fools sake,..so…dont be such dictators to hate any criticism . …dziko lavuta iliii . # just my views . Muvaye kumudz kwanu mukafuse kuti Fertilizer subsidy yapindulira anthu angati . Mukafusenso kuti kodi nanga chaka chino ( 2015-16 ) apindule ndiangati ? Osamangoombera mmanja zilizonse .

    6. zativutadi apa its true,koma bwanji osabweletsa mfundo zothandizazo?during Muluzi`s time kunali One Village One Product kodi maboma onsewa akanayimbikira programme yi mkuyipanga fund mokwanira mukuona ngati sikadapindula?abale zomangotsutsanazi zikutibwezeletsa mmbuyo!maboma onse ali ndi zofooka zawo,ndiye tiyeni tiyipatse MCP yo mwayi ilamulire mtsogolomu mwina tidzaona kusintha

    7. Tinya sitinati ndi alomwewa, bad thing is that if anything can be in place he’s thinking of buying a pvt jet, Malawi a moto shaaaaaa

    8. zotchulana mitunduzo ndiye ayi chifukwa enafenso ndi alomwe check my profile,find something else koma osati za mitundu,wabwino ndiye ndi ndani?

    9. iwe Tionge ndiwe munthu wa mayi dzipatse ulemu,tikabwezera zotukwanazo uziti nkhanza kwa amayi kkkkkk,take care this is politics and we are trying to find out tangible solutions si zotukwanazo

    10. ine ndikungodya kakaka kkkkkkkk bola ine zanga zkuyenda big up Nigeria i love my new country!!! ndasiyananalo MW. see u Malawians in 2030.

  47. Koma inu amalawi24 kupenga mukupangako mongosiyilatu mudzimvesesa munthu.akamayakhula koma kuxool zimaendadi mpaka kuzasegula page imene shame on u guys including your sponsrs,followers,families n all your materials you r using to fool us

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