NEW YORK-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera has appealed for possible support from the government of Ireland towards the much-touted ATM Strategy which prioritises boosting productivity in Agriculture, Tourism and Mining sectors.
Chakwera made the appeal on Tuesday during an audience with Irish President Michael Higgins on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Malawi’s growth strategy is now focused on boosting productivity in agriculture, tourism, and mining, collectively dubbed the ATM strategy, a brainchild of Chakwera himself.
The strategy is envisioned as a game-changer for the country’s development as it is expected to turn Malawi from a poor to a wealthy nation, through the implementation of the overarching long-term national development blue-print called the Malawi Vision 2063.
“Strategies which my government has put in place to implement the ATM strategy including introduction of an online business registration platform to streamline processes, removal of visa requirements for visitors from several European countries, including Ireland, as well as conserving and improving tourist attraction sites and infrastructure to make Malawi a preferred tourist destination,” Chakwera told his Irish counterpart.
Chakwera also told the Ireland President that Malawi also boasts of having various minerals which he said have been recently discovered and also the necessary measures to ensure sanity in the mining sector.
Currently, Malawi is still lobbying for direct budgetary support from EU countries, including Ireland. Budgetary support was suspended by many of Malawi’s traditional donors in September 2013, following revelations of massive plunder of public resources, popularly christened ‘cashgate.’
“We therefore need investors to support the Agricultural sector through enhanced mechanized farming, value addition and production of agro-inputs; the Tourism sector by developing the tourism infrastructure while more investors are also needed in the mining sector,” he added.
The Malawi leader, thereafter, assured Higgins that his government is determined to improve the livelihood of Malawians through democratic governance and creation of innovative ways of addressing emerging and perennial challenges.
The Irish government is currently fulfilling its commitment in helping Malawi achieve its development priorities in areas of climate change, education, governance and agriculture.
