The Centre for Social Concern (CfSC), has worryingly observed that the 2013/14 national budget, just like the preceding 2012/13 national budget, is not people centred. While acknowledging the fact that the current budget has been framed in the context of a stagnating economy that is struggling to emerge from a downturn, CfSC believes that government should have balanced the twofold equally important tasks of stabilising the country’s economy by giving incentives to the private sector (as the engine of growth) and also protecting the vulnerable through adequate social spending to reduce poverty.
While acknowledging the troubling reality that Malawi is now back under the wings of the Bretton Woods Institutions (IMF and World Bank) CfSC believes that in engaging these institutions Malawi government should do so in cognisance of the lessons learnt from the recent past. READ MORE
Tag: Social analysis
The Centre for Social Concern (CfSC), has worryingly observed that the 2013/14 national budget, just like the preceding 2012/13 national budget, is not people centred. While acknowledging the fact that the current budget has been framed in the context of a stagnating economy that is struggling to emerge from a downturn, CfSC believes that government should have balanced the twofold equally important tasks of stabilising the country’s economy by giving incentives to the private sector (as the engine of growth) and also protecting the vulnerable through adequate social spending to reduce poverty.
While acknowledging the troubling reality that Malawi is now back under the wings of the Bretton Woods Institutions (IMF and World Bank) CfSC believes that in engaging these institutions Malawi government should do so in cognisance of the lessons learnt from the recent past. READ MORE
Rural Basic Needs Basket Analytical report for January 2013 in Malawi shows that the majority of rural households are poor since they are living below a dollar a day.
During the month of February, CfSC’s Rural BNB project conducted a Rapid Rural Appraisal in its operation areas to assess the availability and prices of maize. It was found out that maize prices ranged between MK 7000 and MK 10,000 a bag of 50 kg. This was too much expensive for a rural household. Those who had no or too little maize and money resorted into consuming maize bran. Those who had completely nothing, slept on an empty stomach or could even consume leafy vegetables only. READ MORE
Press statement published in the Daily Times of 21st March, 2013
Press statement published in the Daily Times of 21st March, 2013
The increase in electricity tariffs is leading to Service Exclusion
Addressing poverty continues to be identified as a major challenge for Malawian society and has been a central topic that successive governments have attempted to tackle or at least pretended to do so. Commitments in Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), pronouncements in the newly launched Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) and various key government documents underscore that view. However, in spite of all these attempts to address poverty the reality is grim: poverty in Malawi remains severe and widespread – a situation that leaves millions to grapple, on a daily basis, with the unabating increase in food and essential non-food commodities. The ever rising cost of living presents to the country an extremely serious challenge upon which all efforts must be concentrated so as to ease people’s daily suffering. (…)