By Dean Chisambo
World vision and Council for Non- Governmental Organisation of Malawi (CONGOMA) has said too much corruption has delayed Malawi to achieve Sustainable Development Goals commitment of ending poverty by the year 2030
Speaking during the launch of the Civil Society Mid – Point Report on sustainability Development Goals (2023) Congoma programme Officer Symon Sauzande said for the commitment to be achieved it needs Malawians to work together with transparency and for everyone to be involved as the principal of SDG calls for inclusiveness.
Sauzande said, “let’s all work together, let’s have a very good plan as a country, a plan that can make sure that we reach the target of ending poverty by the year 2030”
“the target is ending poverty not reducing poverty, so everything we do as a country must go towards ending poverty.
Sauzande further said Malawi is not doing well on almost all goals.
On her sentiment ,World Vision Officer In Charge Pennia Mavedzenge said the country need more accountability and collective effort despite the country having a lot of setbacks such as natural disasters and continuous circles of drought.
She said: “the process of coming together and putting the little bits that are already going in would mean, we get a better broader platform to measure our progress.”
Mavedzenge further said at this point there is progress that the country has made and without the challenges Malawi is on the right track although alot need to be done.
She said : “so it will take a lot of effort but not just effort of government but different stakeholders, the CSO’s and private sector must come in together to pour resources that are available towards this effort.”
Speaking during the panel discussion ,deputy director of planning in the ministry of finance Hens Mauwa said the covid-19 pandemic and the natural disasters which the country faced have compromised the country not to make the progress on the commitment of SDG’s which the country committed to end poverty by the year 2030.
According to the report that Congoma and World Vision released has shown that more than 4 million Malawians household rely on rain- fed crop cultivation hence maize is Malawi’s staple with 3.6 and 70.1% live on less than $2.15 per day.