Malawi is expected to sign its second compact with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in September next year,the United States (US) Public Affairs Office has said.
The signing of the second compact will come after MCC, a US government agency, announced in December 2018 that Malawi had qualified for a second compact after successful completion of the $350.7 million energy compact.
Last week,MCC country Director for Malawi Joel Wiegert was in the country where he, met with President Lazarous Chakwera.
US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Namita Biggins said in a written response that Wiegert’s primary focus this visit was to brief senior officials on proress related to the second compact’s two projects.
The two projects are increasing land productivity through sector reform and improved administration, and using an accelerated growth corridor approach to make public investments in road infrastructure , and incentivising private investments into inclunsive agricultural projects.
“In addition to briefing President Chakwera on Progress (made) to date, the country director noted that the project design and feasibility studies from the initial &12 million in grant financing available to the government were underway.
“And, despite delays due to Covid we intend to finalize the development phase allowing the signing of Malwi’s second compact in September 202,”Biggins said.
Finance Minister Felix Mluso was not immediately available for comment yesterday but, speaking when he visited the country in February last year, Wiegert appealed to Malawians to exercise patience as MCC and Malawi were designing projects that would lead to economic growth and prosperity of Malawi.
Wiegert observed that MCC offers a maximum of two compacts, necessitating the need for Malawians and MCC to ensure that they do their best in designing the second and last compact.
“Not only Malawians are waiting,even Malawi government officials are, every time i come to town,wondering about when we are going to be talking about projects that have started, MCC’s current policy is that we only do two compacts per country. So, there might be a possibility that there is regional compact in South Africa but this is Malawi’s last compact’
“So one could say we can rush the compact and get it done as quickly as possible and may be leave some things out and have done our utmost to get it right. Look, the compact development process generally takes around two-and-a half years.we are a year in and we are still on track. We are alittle ahead of some other folks,’ Wiegert said.
Source:The daily times news_Taonga Sabola_18 0tober, 2021