PENSION IN MALAWI: GOING FURTHER…

Since the enactment of the mandatory Pensions Act of 2011, Malawi has made positive strides in ensuring that all working human resources in private and public sectors are put on pension and have a fallback upon retirement. This has seen pension reserves hitting over two billion in just under three years from the private sector alone as government is yet to fully commit to bankroll all of its workers on pension. Due to the smooth running of the pension this far coupled with good management of the funds by pension fund managers such as NICO, Old Mutual etc., there is public confidence in the mandatory pension scheme despite other challenges and setbacks such us non remittance by other employers.

The mandatory pension scheme indeed has provided social and financial security in retirement. Pension funds provide financial security and stability during old age when people do not have a regular source of income. Pension funds also ensures that people live with pride and without compromising on their standard of living during senior years. The resources from pension gives an opportunity for investment. Employees are thus able to accumulate savings and get lump sum amount as regular income through annuity plan on retirement. Accumulated savings through pension funds, contributes significantly towards wealth formation which is vital to creation of investments. If properly channeled, the investments from pension funds may positively contribute to economic growth through infrastructure development etc.

However, the current Pensions Act is only restricted to those in formal and organized employment leaving out the informal and an unorganized sector. These include vendors, mechanics, fish mongers, Malawians leaving abroad etc. who are actually in large numbers than the ones currently covered by the Pensions Act. This means that a large proportion of the Malawi population is not covered and likely to face challenges in old age as they do not have savings in form of pension. The country also loses out as investible funds that could be generated from this group of people is not collected.

This therefore brings the concept of Voluntary Pension Scheme. This is where those in the informal sector are encouraged to join voluntary pension schemes and voluntarily make contributions to the scheme at a set minimum figure. Typically, this should arguably be the cheapest pension plan as the amount contributed is generally small supported by government framework and policy. It should be set up to be a non-withdrawable account meant for savings for retirement and the emphasis being on the fact that it is purely on voluntary contribution basis. The advantage of this pension scheme is that it is regulated by government and as such not prone to abuse by fund administrators as it monitored by the central bank. Courtiers such as Nigeria, India, Ireland and many others have introduced voluntary pension system and the benefits can be observed.

Is voluntary pension system the missing block in Malawi? Would introduction of this system help in reducing suffering of the unorganized social workers in old age in the country? It is my considered view that voluntary pension system would indeed help a large pool of the undocumented workforce currently left out by the law to be cushioned from lack of savings at retirement. It also entails further creation of jobs in pension fund houses and agents.  It is therefore my hope that policy makers and partners such as Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of Malawi etc., would explore this area for its feasibility and practicality.

THE MILLION DOLLAR WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT QUESTION

There is a wave of sexual harassment cases going around in workplaces around the world especially in the film industry. A day has not gone by without a case where an accusation has been made of sexual harassment from Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman to Jeffrey Tambor just to mention but a few. One significant common similarity in all the cases involving workplace sexual harassment is that men have been known to be the major perpetrators of the vice. In Malawi, few if not none of cases of sexual harassment come out and an action taken against the perpetrators. The million dollar question that comes out of this is: do issues of sexual harassment happen or take place in places of work in Malawi? If the vice is present, why are the cases not reported?

It is a fact even without conducting a comprehensive research, that sexual harassment cases do take place in workplaces in Malawi. These may range from unwarranted sexual advances, unwelcome or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that leads to discomfort or humiliation, offensive gestures, sexual favoritism where a person who is in a position of authority rewards only those who respond to sexual advances or those who bow to sexual demands whilst other deserving employees not submitting themselves to such sexual advances are denied fair rewards. The list is endless.

The impact of sexual harassment on the business cannot be overlooked. Such effects of sexual harassment may involve amongst others absenteeism, demotivation, disengagement, lower productivity, high labour turnover and a disruption of relationships within the workplace. One of the sad thing in this aspect is that Human Resource Practitioners in Malawi are in the bandwagon of being perpetrators of sexual harassment. Human resource managers have been known to seek sexual favors from job applicants and sweeping under the carpet issues that have been reported to them especially where it involves top managers and other wielders of power.

It is imperative for organizations and indeed human resource practitioners to set up deliberate policies that aim at addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. The policies should aim to combat and deal vigorously with any incidents of sexual harassment which may take place by providing a procedure for reporting, correcting and dealing with such unwanted behaviour. All forms of sexual harassment should be eliminated and human resource practitioners should create a culture that detects and prevents all forms of sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace. Sexual harassment cases should not be ignored or swept under the carpet. They should be thoroughly investigated and all culprits should face appropriate sanctions. The human resource practitioners in Malawi should be champions of this  function by making sure that victims of sexual harassment are protected and that in no way are they victimized. They should endeavor to ensure that any victimization that may result from lodging a genuine complaint of sexual harassment is dealt with the utmost severity. 

TOP 5 TRENDS IN 2017 THAT WILL AFFECT THE HR PROFESSION IN MALAWI

The top 5 HR trends have been derived from my assessment of how 2016 was with regards to employer-employee relations and the environmental (social, political, technological and economic) impacts on the practice. The economic environment of Malawi in 2017 looks dark as per economic forecasts which will see lower growth rate, continued high inflation, hunger, water and power crisis as well as lower productive capacity of the country which ultimately affects HR practice. The job market will continue to shrink causing both job seekers and employees to have less leverage, which will cause salaries to stagnate and employers to invest less in staffing and employee benefits. The following are some trends which will affect the HR space in 2017 which HR practitioners should be aware of so that they can devise appropriate strategies that will see smooth implementation of their activities:

     1. High Tension Relations Between Employees and Employers

The economic slowdown of the country will continue in 2017 as there are no visible immediate solutions to the problems that Malawi is going through. Productive capacity of Malawi will continue to be hampered by the low energy levels and water problems. Due to the shrinking economy, high inflation and continued effects of hunger, high tension relations will continue to exist between employers and employees characterized by demand for more wages/salary to cushion employees from the economic hardships. More strikes and sit-ins demanding better pay will increase especially in the civil service and government agencies. HR professionals will be faced with the challenge of balancing between employer and employee interests. This will require the HR professionals to be abreast with negotiations skills in order to ensure harmonious relations in the workplace and reduce disruptive actions that become as a result of out-of-hand industrial actions.

   2. Shrinking Job Market

The job market in Malawi will continue to be flooded with trained graduates and skilled pool of talent with less practical experience. However, the hiring appetite of employers will continue to be low due to the economic environment in Malawi. The demand for hiring from within (internal recruitment), job enlargement and job enrichment as well capacity building of employees will be focused more as the craving for external recruitment will drastically reduce in the year. This means that the HR market will remain static and HR professionals will have to devise strategies that will leverage this trend and remain proactive in the management of organization’s key resource, human resources.

   

   3. Increasing Use of Technology and Social Media In The Workplace   

The ever-changing technological environment means more technology will continue to be the bedrock of business success for Malawian organizations in 2017. Those that have the technology will continue to make improvements on it and those that do not have, will have to play catch up to ensure that they are not left behind. Software, computer analytics and digital HR will be a trend that HR professionals in organizations will have to embrace for spotting, attracting and retaining relevant human resources in the workplace. Social media will continue to be part of the organizational culture that will either foster or impede employee performance. The use of WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social networks will be used more to disseminate information either as grapevine or official company information. 2017 will all be about apps and will probably offer a more integrated user experience. It will be more of smart phones influencing most operations in the workplace. This will require HR solutions that are assessable via smart phones e.g. training. HR professionals will have to be aware of these platforms so that they can leverage on the information therein for betterment of information dissemination and raising positive company profile. Capacity building on digital HR and social media awareness will have to be emphasized among HR professionals to be abreast with critical trends which have the potential of affecting employee performance. 

        4. From Intuitive HR To Fact/Evidence Based HR

Since the institutionalization of HR as profession in Malawi, HR practitioners have tried hard to justify the relevance of the profession in assisting the organization to achieve its goals. HR practitioners in Malawi have made reference to literature of the strategic business partner model where HR plays an integral role in the fulfillment of the business goals. In 2017, the HR space will be pressured to provide evidence/facts on success factors it brings to the organization in terms of improved employee performance, improved productivity, team spirit and harmonious business environment. There will be a high demand for HR practitioners to use HR analytics, Balanced Score Cards etc. to justify the impact of the function in the organization. There will be a high demand for HR to provide more data in justifying the HR budget/costs for the function to remain relevant and seen to bring positive impact on overall organizational performance. The HR space will have to strike a balance between the softer HR which focuses on emotional intelligence, psychological contract, teams building, capacity building, rewarding, employee engagement and motivation to scientific-fact based HR where there is measurement of HR output.  

         5. Interesting Workplaces

Aside financial and development needs that employees require from their work, there are social needs that employees aim to fulfill when they go to work. Employees are not dead logs or dead camels that should always be told what to do or follow rigid tedious regulations. 2017 will present the HR practitioner in Malawi with the challenge of providing interesting work that fulfills both organizational and personal goals. The memo based communication will be challenged with the desire for more fluid communication via email and other internet based platforms. The HR professional will be required to grasp the fact that employees want to be paid for doing their work while having fun and enjoying what they do. As indicated somewhere else, ‘making fun’ is serious business. Social activities, telling jokes, WhatsApp groups and social football will characterize the business environment which HR should prepare in advance and embrace them for the betterment and enhancement of performance in the organization. 

HOW THE HR PROFESSION IN MALAWI IS STUCK AND HOW TO GET IT LOOSE!

Human resource management has become a pervasive and influential approach to the management of employment in all organization. This is so because more effective management of human resources positively affects performance in ministries, government departments and in private organizations both large and small. Globally, human resource management has become recognizable both as a profession and field of study due to positive impact of strategy implementation. Despite this plausible fact, there are several challenges to its development in Malawi. Confronting these challenges, could go a long way in liberating the stunted growth of the HR profession in Malawi.

It comes not as a surprise when a story appears in one of the daily news papers or on tabloids about a strike at a certain company. It is also not a bolt from the blue to hear of the back log of cases at the Industrial Relations Court of which some date as far back as 2009. We are also not surprised when we hear a colleague being called to attend an interview or start work for a job they applied two years ago. We are now used to interviews that ask candidates to mention how many buttons there are on their shirts. Unfair dismissals, failure to adhere to laws of natural justice during disciplinary hearings are order of the day. Lawful and procedurally fair administrative action, which is just in relation to reasons given where rights, freedoms, legitimate expectations or interests of employees are affected or threatened as demanded by the constitution, are never an issue to HR practitioners in Malawi. The questions that arise out of all this are that does the current HR team of practitioners in Malawi have the adequate knowledge to manage human resources? Are human resource practitioners knowledgeable enough about Malawi Labour Laws? Is there a legitimate human resource management body that regulates how human resource managers operate in Malawi?

Owners of businesses willingly accept human resource management as a profession if the HR department contributes to the achievement of the goals of the organization. Human resource managers here participate in developing strategies and ensure that human resource dimensions are considered. It is a fact that managing human resources is an intricate contractual obligation because people are social beings that have needs and wants that are always changing. Most HR practitioners currently in Malawi have the experience but luck intellectual caliber necessary to manage the contemporary employee. Similarly, there are a lot of young, well trained intellectuals in human resource management that lack experience to effectively manage human resources and yet this is the generation that will change the game! This is the dilemma that the profession is currently facing in Malawi. To trade of between experience and intellectual know-how in human resource management is increasingly becoming problematic. Coupled with lack of an apt and legitimate human resource management regulatory body has led the HR profession in Malawi to be stuck and therefore no meaningful progress can be seen.

In order to get the HR profession loose and progressive, there is a need for a holistic approach where all human resource intellectuals and practitioners in Malawi come together and structure a body that is inclusive and a true representative of the values, principles and tenets of the profession. This would be a body where practitioners can get professional advice on matters arising from their prospective organizations. It would also act as a body that would train and develop human resource managers on contemporary human resource management activities. It would also provide a platform where Labour Laws of Malawi can be interpreted so that all HR practitioners can easily understand and apply them. The body would also lobby to government and law makers on favourable laws that positively bring sanity to the employment relationship. A body that does not only have dinners once a year but rather tirelessly strives to see the good of the profession!  

Time is up for a docile human resource management team in Malawi. Human resource practitioners in Malawi need to be transformative, proactive and have the urge to do the right things. There is a strong need to be more visionary, inspirational and persuasive to stimulate employees and other stakeholders to do desired things. Ultimately, this shall help make the HR profession in Malawi become fully grown, respectable and an inspiration to Malawian kids to grow up and become human resource managers!

THE BUSINESS OF POVERTY PRODUCTION IN MALAWI: OF UN-PATRIOTIC MALAWIAN PRESIDENTS

Celebration of Martyrs Day on 3^rd March each year in Malawi provides an opportunity for all of us Malawians to reflect on our past, build on successes and turning our failure into opportunity. Malawians who lost life and property fighting for our liberty deserve so much respect and admiration by all Malawians today because they showed us that true patriotism requires selfless fight for a good cause even in the face of suffering and death. Their souls rest in eternal everlasting peace.

When the martyrs fought for our freedom, they wanted all Malawians to be liberated entirely from political, economic and social conditions at the time. They wanted a Malawi that provided endless possibilities for its people. They wanted to see a Malawi free of impunity and suffering. They wanted a government led Malawian sons. They wanted to see a government of the people, by the people for the people. Taking stock of the strides that Malawi has taken over the years, Malawi has achieved so much in areas such as health, agriculture, human rights just to mention but a few. The successes we have achieved so far as a country can not be over-emphasized.

However, there is one thing in common among our leaders that remains a challenge and cause of concern. Most of our leaders have shown their endless desire to keep the people poor and destitute for their own political mileage. Instead of bringing policies that really transmute communities and the people at large, our leaders continuously implement policies that erode the sheer hope and optimism that people of Malawi have. It is disheartening to see our presidents who publicly swore to protect and preserve the word and spirit of the constitution, being in the forefront raping the same constitution left, right and centre. The constitution tips all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of the state that they do so on trust and that they should only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi. They are therefore required to be transparent, accountable and responsible while running affairs of the state. To our dismay however, there are always revelations of mismanagement of public funds starting from Dr. Bakili Muluzi to Dr Joyce Banda. The question that we ask in this is, are our leaders conscious about poverty reduction in Malawi or they are in the business of making Malawians more poor?

Leaders are supposed to be beacons of light. They are supposed to bring hope to the hopeless. They are supposed to bring anger in the people to work hard to change their lives, those of others and develop their country. How do law abiding citizens work hard when they know that the huge tax they are paying to the government will be embezzled by a few corrupt and selfish government officials? The recent Cashgate and Jetcash revelations have left so many Malawians disoriented and hopeless because Malawi could accomplish a lot should such resources been used for poverty alleviation in the country. Much as the incumbent President Joyce Banda may distance herself from these scandals, she is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing that these incidences do not happen under her watch. 100 days into her presidency, I asked President Joyce Banda what her agenda was for our beautiful country http://www.nyasatimes.com/2012/08/12/president-joyce-banda-what-is-your-agenda-for-malawi/. Poverty alleviation requires that people be empowered economically, socially and politically. To achieve this, there is always a requirement to use policies that create jobs for millions of Malawian youths in desperate need of jobs, sound economic management that encourage entrepreneurship, development of the education sector and strengthening of the health sector.

The dream by the late President Professor Bingu wa Mutharika to turn the nation from a predominantly importing to a predominantly exporting one was a step in the right direction because this leads to creation of real wealth. It is in my view that giving out handout in terms of shoes, flower, cash or clothes diverts people from focusing on real things that can move people up the poverty line. As we move closer to elections, it is my utmost hope and prayer to my fellow Malawians to put into government leaders that will tirelessly work hard to reduce poverty levels in the country. Selfish and corrupt leaders must not be allowed to take up crucial positions in our society because doing so leads the country in a path of self destruction. I urge my fellow Malawians to take a leading role in ensuring that our leaders are accountable for their actions by taking action when things go wrong. Active citizenship is needed to show our leaders that they have crossed the line. So Malawians lets wake up and repossess what has been stolen from us and end our poverty. No one can stop light from shining. No matter how dark the night is, there is dawn.    

TOWARDS 2014! DO WE REALLY HAVE OPTIONS?! OF ATUPELE AND AGENDA WITHOUT AGENDA!

“If it tastes bitter, spit it out. That’s what our ancestors did”

When late President Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika, his soul rest in eternal everlasting peace, took over the leadership mantle from Dr. Bakili Muluzi, Malawi’s economy was at its weakest. Inflation was high, hunger was order of the day and macro-economic activity in the country stalled. Within a short period of time, Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika changed the face of Malawi. Hunger became history, the economy grew at unprecedented rate, infrastructure development began to take shape and handout dependency that characterized his predecessor’s regime became history. The rest of the story is clear to us all. Towards final days of Bingu’s regime, Malawi’s economy suffered setback predominantly due to unavailability of foreign currency mostly the dollar as well as long-drawn-out fuel shortages. These factors made Malawians grew remorse and animosity towards their own president and thus his untimely death on 5 April 2012 (as now confirmed by Commission of Inquiry on Bingu’s death and not 6 or 7 April 2012 as we were earlier told by some overzealous inside government individuals who had their agendas!). His death thus created euphoria and expectations in Malawians that new president Dr. Joyce Banda would turn things around for the better.  Has President Dr. Joyce Banda changed Malawi for the better? Does she need five years to robustly change Malawi’s economic woes for the better? Does she always have to blame the dead for our suffering now? Do we still need to always wait for “azungu akuti azungu akuti?” I live these to beautiful and peaceful Malawians to judge.

One of the most notable Malawians, who strongly discredited late Bingu’s leadership, was Atupele Muluzi. Atupele indefatigably questioned Bingu’s style of leadership as well as his policies to the point that he brought his “agenda for change”. Beautiful it was! He moved cross-country selling his agenda. It created hope and optimism that here is a young man who really wants to change his nation to a better position. Immediately after Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika’s untimely death, the most surprising, unforgettable and unforgivable thing happened. Atupele Muluzi dropped his “agenda for change” saying and I quote “what we wanted in agenda for change, is change of leadership and as of now agenda for change may no longer be necessary since there is change of leadership”. This raises a number of questions. Does it mean Atupele was only interested in leadership and not changing lives of Malawians as his agenda for change insinuated? Is Atupele as politician motivated by money after being appointed minister of economic planning? Does it not make sense for a politician like Atupele work with the government as minister of economic planning to help change things for better if he really is interested in improving things in Malawi? Should such self-interested men be trusted ever???

AGENDA WITHOUT AGENDA                                                              

After falling out of favour with President Dr. Joyce Banda and after enjoying ministerial privileges, Atupele Muluzi is at it again. He has re-launched his “agenda for change” (italics used to emphasize if indeed there is really any agenda at all!). Speaking afew days ago on a whistle stop tour in Lilongwe, young Muluzi promised Malawians that should they vote for him into government in 2014, he shall introduce free secondary school education. Alas my beloved country! Has Atupele Muluzi conducted thorough research to conclude that dwindling of education levels in Malawi is as a result of lack of free secondary education? Does young Muluzi know that government secondary education fees are already at their lowest compared to private secondary schools? Does the handsome abroad educated Atupele know where secondary school fees paid by students go? Does he even know what this school fees is used for? In my unverified research, part of the fees paid in most Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) is used to buy books and other school utilities at those particular schools. Part of the fees that goes to government is sent back to the same schools in the form funding which is turned into desks, chalk, books, chalkboards etc. Thus government has never used secondary schools as revenue collecting institutions. With the current education system, will free secondary school education really improve education standards in Malawi? Will free secondary school education create meaning and value in wielders of that education? Would construction of better classrooms, training of more teachers and improving salaries of teachers to motivate them not be better agendas in Atupele’s agenda? Agenda without agenda!

Here comes the big one; Creation of 500 000 jobs!! In his “agenda for change”, Muluzi has promised Malawians to create 500 000 jobs within a period of five years. The million dollar question that comes out of all this is how does the technically self-employed speaking young Muluzi intend to create these jobs? Has Atupele personally done something that has created jobs not linked to Muluzi senior? Other than lying to Malawians, is it not proper to include in the “agenda” issues to do with export led growth, import substitution, industrialization, value addition as conditions that really create jobs? Agenda without agenda!

Malawi is going through troubled times. She is thirst for leadership that truly has wishes and interests of the people at heart just as the just departed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was. It is high time that political self-interested rational maximizors were never entertained in Malawi politics. Gone are days that saw cheap politics usher people into government. As we move towards 2014, agendas without agenda will expose individuals that have nothing to offer to this country and will thus display them as tricksters and scavengers who must never inhabit plot number one!!

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MRS JOYCE BANDA

                 

“Running affairs of the state is serious business’’ Bakili Muluzi

Let me offer my congratulatory remarks for celebrating 100 days of your office. I believe your performance will continue to transform the country for the better in your next 100 days. Through you madam, we have shown the world that young our multi-party democracy maybe, we are mature in terms of political tolerance.

Madam President, let me begin by bringing your attention to the fact that throughout civilization, people have vested their trust in the state as a provider of their needs. This is because state has the capacity to generate a mass of resources (human and material) enough to alleviate their suffering. State intervention has therefore been at the core of wealth creation and economic success throughout history. This started with Britain and Europe in the late 15^th century, USA in the 19^th century, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea in the 20^th century and now China and India in the 21^st century. These entire countries madam President attained their economic success through the same economic policies. If we are serious about transforming this country, which I believe we are, then let us seriously think about and perhaps emulate them just as they all did.

Madam president, Africa including Malawi, is being told to open up to foreign direct investment (FDI), jump to free trade with the developed economies and liberalize their economies because that is supposedly the only way to grow their (our) economies. If we go back their history madam president, the developed economies i.e. Britain and USA, opposed the very economic policies that their forgetful descendants are telling us to do today. All today’s developed countries used nationalistic policies (export led growth, subsidies, mechanization, tariffs, restrictions on foreign investment, distribution of monopoly rights) to protect and promote their infant industries. Not all that the IMF or World Bank tell us to do is true neither is the loan they have given let us celebrate all the way to the bank. These are the very factors that are keeping Africa “artificially” poor. What Malawi needs right now madam president is a strategic rather than unconditional, integration with the global economy based on a nationalistic vision.

Madam President let me provide an example to illustrate my point. Venice and the Dutch Republic became wealthy economic powerhouses in the 13^th in the then poverty-stricken Europe due to a flourishing industrial sector that manufactured woolen cloth. Guess where they got their raw materials from? England!! Madam President this meant that England was exporting employment and its other advantages i.e. creation of knowledge, technology, division of labour, increasing returns and most importantly employment. England was thus exporting raw materials and remaining poor! Take note that this is exactly what we did and continue to do right now. It was until 1485 when King Henry VII ascended to throne that the English realized that they were in wrong business. King Henry VII therefore made policies that made England into an exporter of finished woolen cloth and not raw cotton! He also used protectionism, subsidies, distribution of monopoly rights, government sponsored industrial espionage also known as reverse engineering where a foreign product was stripped down and copied. Madam, he even introduced export duties which ensured that foreign textile producers who imported raw materials, had to process more expensive raw materials than their English counterparts. These initiatives made England the richest country on earth, a country envied and imitated by others including USA! Interestingly Madam President, USA later in the 19^th century emulated the same economic policies that Britain had employed. Again they also gained economic mileage and became the world’s richest country attaining position of world super power in the process!! Now China and India are using the same economic policies of state intervention and the results you know them madam.

LESSONS FROM YOUR PREDECESSOR

Madam President, the ascension to power of the late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika in 2004, his soul rest in peace, can equally be likened to that of King Henry VII. In him, was a man who had vested interest in the development of his country. Whether we like it or not, this is a fact. Just as King Henry VII, Professor Mutharika emulated and encouraged all Malawians to be actors not listeners. He encouraged that Malawi should move from being a pre-dominantly importing nation to a pre-dominantly exporting one. The results are clear to us all! For the first time Malawi’s economy grew at unprecedented rate second to Qatar! Secondly, the former Head of State introduced subsidies whose results again are out there where again for the first time Malawi exported and donated maize to other countries. Then he began the big one!!! Nsanje World Inland Port. Madam President this was not just a dream, it was dreaming in colour. Doing what the Americans and the British did not what they are telling to do. Nsanje World Inland Port is one of Malawi’s economic doors to success! Professor Bingu wa Mutharika did not leave anything to chance neither did he wait for God to do it for us or wait for World Bank or IMF. He downplayed the spirit of begging, waiting for donations or dependence. He realized that dependency can not lead this country to economic independence! In fact no country has ever developed under dependency conditions. They only experience their greatest economic development when they take their development agenda in their own hands. What am I saying madam president? I am saying let us understand what caused economic prosperity of the now developed countries and emulate. This is what Professor Mutharika did! 

To this far madam president, I believe that you are a woman of distinct and rare abilities. I trust that you will move this country to a better economic position than you found it. Let me conclude by quoting what Mr. Jay Naidoo, Chairman of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition said at Brand Africa Forum 2010; “we are naïve to think that the people that come into our country, even the ones who are here to help us (donors), have no agenda. Everyone has an agenda” What is your agenda for Malawi madam president?!