|
Abstract:
|
The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) is the overarching strategy for Malawi for the next five years from 2006/2007 to 2010/2011 fiscal years. It is the overarching operational medium-term strategy for Malawi designed to attain the nation’s Vision 2020. The main thrust of the MGDS is to create wealth through sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development as a means of achieving poverty reduction. It presents a policy framework that articulates issues related to both economic growth and social development. The policy mix of the MGDS is aimed at achieving the medium-term development objectives of sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. The purpose of the MGDS is to serve as a single reference document for policy makers in Government, the Private Sector, Civil Society, Donors and Co-operating Partners on the country’s socio-economic development priorities.
The overriding philosophy of the MGDS is poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. The MGDS identifies six key priority areas which define the direction the country intends to take in the next five years to achieve economic growth and wealth creation which are critical for immediate improvement in the economic well-being of Malawians. These are agriculture and food security; irrigation and water development; transport infrastructure development; energy generation and supply; integrated rural development; prevention and management of nutrition disorders, HIV and AIDS. These six key priority areas will accelerate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), thereby recognizing the importance of sectors of health, education, gender, environment and governance.
In order to support the six key priority areas, the development framework of the MGDS is built around five broad thematic areas namely sustainable economic growth; social protection; social development; infrastructure development; and improved governance. The activities in the themes have been systematically prioritized and realistically costed taking into account the limited resource envelope. The MGDS builds on the Malawi Economic Growth Strategy (MEGS) that emphasizes the need to create a conducive environment for private sector investment to stimulate economic growth. As such it recognizes the important role of the private sector in promoting economic growth. It also incorporates lessons from the implementation of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy (MPRS). Hence, the MGDS recognizes the need to invest in social development through education, health, good governance and the need to protect the most vulnerable. The process of developing the MGDS has been participatory involving all key stakeholders including Government, Parliament, Private Sector, Civil Society, Donors, Co-operating Partners and the General Public. More importantly the preparation of the MGDS has been country led and owned, therefore, making it a document for the n |