Malawi Government has set aside K190 billion which was sourced from World Bank to help in the financing of Public Works Program.
The Public Works Program is a very important safety net program which helps poor Malawians to have money in their pockets.
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Alfred Gwengwe in an interview said government has received K190 billion from the World Bank to re-start the implementation of the programme in all *the*…
Malawi’s public works program has been largest social protection scheme.
The program entails beneficiaries working in order to receive cash or in-kind payment.
Governments often uses these programs to protect poor households in the face of large macroeconomic shocks or famines, largely due to their relatively rapid rollout.
In addition, many national, multi-faceted social protection programs include a public works component. Such programs are widespread in Africa, where 39 of 48 sub-Saharan African countries have government-supported public works programs.
Since the 1990s Malawi’s public works program, operated under the Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) providing short-term, labor-intensive employment opportunities to poor households.
In 2012, the government doubled the size of the program to reach approximately 500,000 households per year. The program aimed at improving lean season food security and increase the use of fertilizer, which could increase farm productivity.
Previously the program included road rehabilitation or construction, afforestation, and irrigation.
The first cycle of the programme has been running during planting season (October through December); this timing aligns with the distribution of fertilizer subsidies. The second cycle typically occurs after the harvest (June and July).
Meanwhile social commentators are applauding President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for restarting the programme.