Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Dr Ben Malunga Phiri has challenged engineers in Malawi to take a more proactive role in addressing the country’s infrastructural and technological challenges.
Phiri made the remarks on Friday during World Engineering Day celebrations held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
He said engineers must step up and provide practical solutions to support national development, particularly as the government continues to allocate resources toward infrastructure projects.
The minister revealed that the government has set aside MK5 billion under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for infrastructure development, with 75 percent of the funds specifically earmarked for infrastructure projects.
However, Phiri expressed concern that the engineering sector has not shown enough readiness to utilize the available resources.
“Government has had to return funds to donors due to unabsorbed allocations, not because of lack of capacity, but due to lack of proactivity,” he said.
Phiri urged engineers to work closely with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that available funds translate into tangible development projects across the country.
Meanwhile, Malawi Engineering Institution (MEI) President Ronald Gundamtengo acknowledged the concerns raised by the minister, saying the engineering profession has the potential to transform Malawi’s infrastructure through innovation and technology.
