By Dean Chisambo
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ben Phiri, has hailed the National Decentralisation Strategy as a major milestone in promoting and strengthening local governance and improving public service delivery in the country.
The minister made the remarks during a stakeholders’ validation meeting for the new strategy held in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
Phiri said the strategy will drive the implementation of the 2024 National Decentralisation Policy and strengthen decentralisation in line with the Malawi 2063 blueprint.
He noted that decentralisation remains central to government efforts to promote democratic governance, inclusive development, and quality public service delivery by bringing government closer to the people.
The minister emphasized that the strategy was developed through an inclusive process involving government institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to ensure cooperation in the implementation of decentralisation reforms.
Phiri also commended UNICEF and other development partners for their support in developing the strategy.
He expressed confidence that the National Decentralisation Strategy will provide a clear framework for addressing bottlenecks facing decentralisation over the next several years.
He added that the strategy aligns with the first 10-Year Implementation Plan of Malawi 2063, known as MIP-1.
Phiri called on government institutions, local authorities, Parliament, traditional leaders, the private sector, civil society organisations, development partners, and citizens to embrace and work together in implementing the strategy.
He said this is essential to ensure accountable, inclusive, and development-oriented local governance.
In his remarks, Malawi Local Government Association Executive Director, Harod Zeru Mkandawire, welcomed the strategy.
Mkandawire said it will help address various challenges affecting the coordination and implementation of decentralisation reforms in Malawi.
On his part, European Union Ambassador Daniel Aristi reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the drafting of the National Decentralisation Strategy through technical assistance.
