Will Malawi really ever develop?

While countries of the West, Asia and Latin America appear to be doing fine on average, some countries in Africa appear to be trapped in poverty without a clear way out. Nations like the DRC, Zambia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and of course Malawi, among still have larger proportions of their population living below the US$ 1.25, per day poverty line. Obviously, if there was some magic bullet for sorting this out, most of these countries would have been rich already. While we know some of the challenges that poor countries face in their bid to uplift the lives of the poor, our knowledge needs to always be supplemented by views from various sources. Recently I collected some opinions on how Malawi can develop from my friends on Face book. The Question was: ‘Will Malawi ever develop? Below are some insights from contributors. What do you think? Any policy lessons for the GoM? • Bright Sibale What is development in your context bwana? August 18 at 11:16am via mobile • Unlike • 1 • Moses Kamanga Dr this space is too small to discuss. The first thing is to ask you to come and stand as an independent candidate in 2014! lol August 18 at 11:22am via mobile • Unlike • 1 • Petros Chigwechokha Malawi, just like most African countries will develop but, unfortunately, the development may not be noticeable during our generation. Trust me as a country we are moving forward. Every developmental effort is adding up a little something which may not be visible now, but cumulatively, such efforts are impacting something, which generations to come may appreciate. A country like ours, without a lot of valuable natural resources, dependent on agriculture-most of which is at small scale level, dependent on external financing, with poor energy supply, un-developed tourism sector and losing a lot of valuable human resources due to HIV/AIDS, attainment of 'developed' status may not be overnight. August 18 at 11:26am via mobile • Unlike • 1 • Bright Sibale ........ But the most important thing to me would be to get the right direction, use the limited resources we have efficiently, get together, start moving and keep on moving! August 18 at 11:32am via mobile • Unlike • 3 • Chrispine Botha Greenwell, there are systems that have been in place for ages that throw spanners into efforts that seek to bring development to ALL. there are people who own sectors such as agriculture; aquculture; fisheries; tourism etc and these pipo determines the level at which efforts should be taken. they have too much power such that if your efforts do not address their interests or contracts thier past or existing efforts; hey they willl sabotage everything and kick you out. is this not the reason we see unsuccessful programs getting extra funding and being scaled up just to keep names of some old experienced so called owners of the sectors and forcing young unrecognised frustrated blood leave Malawi/Africa for the white man's land? ans me August 18 at 11:43am • Unlike • 1 • Chrispine Botha Thanks Greenwell for bringing this up. systems are killing new ideas from taking shape simply because they are not in favour with the 'owners of the sector'. how can we develop if we cannot believe in one another's abilities? August 18 at 12:04pm • Unlike • 1 • Morton Mdumuka Malawi can develop but with the present day attitude of most malawians it will take time. Patriotism is the first thing we need instill I the larger population. Sense of pride and ownership is not there even in most politicians. How can projects easily take off or stand the time test if we put 'spanners' or compromise quality ourselves for individual benefits. E.g Take problems of city planning and roads authority. August 18 at 12:15pm • Unlike • 2 • Jeremiah Kang'ombe Who said that Malawi is not developing? There is development taking place only that we need indeed to define what we are talking about. There is no country on earth that is not developing and Malawi is in that category. However, if we take conventional development, I would say, we are developing at a very slow pace. We are yet to deal with poverty and with poverty in most of the population, development can't happen meaningfully. The country is ending up looking at basic social amenities and ignoring good investments in developing the economy, infrastructure. To me infrastructure will enhance the growth of economy. The economy will grow with so many factors in place but where poverty is, sorry, we will not grow economically and hence no meaningful developments. Cheers August 18 at 12:21pm • Unlike • 2 • Chrispine Botha I agree with you Morton. young minds are being frustrated because the old guys feel change threatens their existence and power. they own the sectors!! August 18 at 12:21pm • Unlike • 2 • Morton Mdumuka Lilongwe city has brilliant designs. RA has good road network for LL City but problem: most of city land belongs to MHC and Min of Lands and once it is leased off (dubiously mostly to foreigners) city council has no powers to outline their vision. As such developmental projects end up being stalled or modified. Chilambula Rd was modified to accommodate business friends of politicians, resulting in a substandard rd. August 18 at 12:22pm • Unlike • 1 • Morton Mdumuka Then there is the education part. We usually insist on degreed courses. I still beliv we need policies that wil make technical institutions more attractive. These institutns wil help flood d country wit beta labour force n entrepreneurs. These apprentices will help abate poverty, drive the economy and dvlpmnt @ large. Even plumbing can be made to be more atractv allowing more youths study it instead of idling. August 18 at 1:42pm • Unlike • 1 • Chizaso Nyirongo ‎... and what is development when one hears that even those so called DCs are also, in a way, developing! they enter recession (deny it) then come out of it, stagnate, move, retreat and all. should we continue parading this development paradigm when the end line remains elusive. is to develop to look lyk the north? kapena kulinso zina zonse tonsefe sitinaziganizire? August 18 at 2:08pm • Unlike • 2 • Davie Kadyampakeni Good and vital discussion Greeenwell and colleagues!! How I wish this question was also thrown to parliament for a healthy and substantive debate. We are developing at an alarmingly slow pace due to wrong priority settings, pull him|her down syndrome and lack of patriotism, among other reasons. August 18 at 2:32pm via mobile • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya guys the great questions etc shows that our prob in mw is not much of human capital. I am impressed! August 18 at 3:59pm via mobile • Like • Chrispine Botha Not at all. We have more than enough human capital; we are even exporting most of our best.. August 18 at 4:13pm • Unlike • 4 • Greenwell Matchaya True, yu have a valid point man August 18 at 4:19pm via mobile • Like • Chrispine Botha thanks Greenwell. a spade cannot be called a spoon at least when you know it. August 18 at 4:24pm • Like • Osborne Sibande this an interesting discussion, I would like to agree will all of you guys but also add that Malawi needs to invest in basic and secondary education and control population growth, i would put these as priority for the long term....in the short term in Malawians have to change their mindset in many ways because development is in the minds of people which translates into doing something that will make a change in way of life. August 18 at 4:36pm • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya Pop growth of 3.1 is indeed on the higher side . Educ of course is a master key tOo August 18 at 4:44pm via mobile • Like • 1 • Tichaona Kapazira kaya koma enlighten me as well...why should Singapore under authoritarian Lee Kee Yuan (a lawyer not an economist for that matter) in the 60's move from underdeveloped country with no natural resources into a developed country within one generation? What could we learn from that? August 18 at 5:44pm via mobile • Unlike • 2 • Osborne Sibande Singapore was one of the famous four Asian tigers that changed their development through industrialization...whhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Asian_Tigers Four Asian Tigers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org The Four Asian Tigers or Asian Dragons is a term used in reference to the highly...See More August 18 at 6:00pm • Unlike • 1 • • Greenwell Matchaya Tachiona Its growth was miraculous. But we can learn from them of course. Determination is part of it I guess August 18 at 6:07pm via mobile • Like • 1 • Tichaona Kapazira so the hypothesis that we cant see any development in a single generation need to erased from our minds, not so? It ought not to be miraculous for us to grasp that phenemenon...ok closer to home we have transformation of Mauritius that can inspire us as well, dont you think so? August 18 at 6:27pm via mobile • Unlike • 3 • Greenwell Matchaya Even singapore offers a great example, just as mauritius can. In my view we can develop in few yrs if we r determined, patriotic, govern well and know what we aim to achiev as a nation We hav land labour and som capital , we shdnt be this worse off . We need to chOose a growth path and endeavour to use to to properity. Right now due to absence of a real growth plan and the will to implement it excess agric produce gets wasted, mineral exp is considered secondary and so r issues of energy and ict. If we were serious we would nt neglect those although I reckon the twoway causalities btwn those ...just thinking August 18 at 6:43pm via mobile • Like • 3 • Tichaona Kapazira imagine Greenwell, Malawi so called an agricultural country- but cant export even green maize let alone baby corn or fresh chillies to EU? Why? And why should our neighbours like Mozambique export vegetables to Europe..let alone RSA. Why should Brazil export chickens to RSA and Malawi fail to do the same? August 18 at 6:48pm via mobile • Unlike • 4 • Greenwell Matchaya We seem stuck at food sufficiency and our thinking appears less radical August 18 at 7:01pm via mobile • Like • 2 • Tichaona Kapazira and I believe Malawi can develop if it allocates its resources efficiently...say water...we irrigate and produce 2 or 3 times a year, what a revolution can that be?we make use of our aquatic resources efficiently ...Jeremiah can attest how viable is the market out there...we are just postponing this revolution ourselves....if the Chisiza's in the 60's could dream of a developed Malawi, why should an Ipad user in 2012 fail to grasp that potential. I think failure to grasp our potential can be attributed to how we are failing to unleash the latent potential we all possess August 18 at 7:08pm via mobile • Unlike • 2 • Osborne Sibande we need to improve from exporting raw materials to exporting finished products and not just finished but they should be high value products and compete at international market, meet the standards and maintain the market and that to be achieved takes serious considerations in the economic planning..but as Greenwell puts it we need a clear growth plan...to show that there is no clear plan..just look back see how our national budget has been changing...from pro poor to ZDB to pro middle class..etc or whatever it is now. This way nothing builds up to grow..it like experimenting every time. August 18 at 7:10pm • Unlike • 3 • Tichaona Kapazira tinned chambo fillet even tillapia nzovuta abale? Nanga pea nut butter exporting? Why are we exporting raw nuts to RSA and we fail to buy imported peanut butter stocked in shoprite? port raw nuts to SA and the August 18 at 7:15pm via mobile • Unlike • 3 • Greenwell Matchaya We r still poor value adders , dont tak Adv of regional markets, post harvesting tech, and we don't simply stick to one plan. Problem August 18 at 7:55pm via mobile • Like • 2 • Tichaona Kapazira If we can tame the leakages in the national fiscus attributed to corruption, mismanagement and gross negligency...what a savings could that be! Such savings if they are to be consolidated to national development plans what an impact would that have to our national growth? August 18 at 8:09pm via mobile • Unlike • 3 • Greenwell Matchaya but those in high places have a different agenda....self enrichment! that defeats everything...thats good govnance, patriotism etc are important.. August 18 at 8:32pm • Like • Osborne Sibande and so what can we do about it?...what are we doing with all these brilliant ideas?..are they ready to listen to new ideas from people like us? they talk of youth participation in development.. do we not need a active channel for soliciting ideas from youth the like these ideas here? just thinking August 18 at 8:43pm • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya Never. Rarely will they giv yu a chance lol August 18 at 9:08pm via mobile • Like • Arild Angelsen Y = A* La * Kb: That says it all August 18 at 9:38pm • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya But we hav all that Arild ! So why the poverty ? August 18 at 10:47pm via mobile • Like • Tichaona Kapazira In that Growth Theory posted by Arild above, we can safely say technological progress of our workers esp the agricultural producers need a scrutiny here. Say a variable like basic education. If the least educated hoe handling farmer had a primary school leaving certificate, how could such a raise in educational level of farmers improve farm productivity? Then we can go on sector by sector say what would be the impact if the least educated industrial worker had a Junior Certificate? August 19 at 9:08am via mobile • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya At the same levels of edc , can investment in modern tech eg seeds, ferti, transgenic etc change a thing ? Investmnt in market infrastructure and generaL rural infrastructure is also key. The caadp frame work is a good starting point for agro economies August 19 at 10:33am via mobile • Like • • • Tamani Nkhono-Mvula Intersting talk unfortunately most of such rich discuss ends on the papers. We have the MGDS II. Is it not propoerly done to answer these issues being raised? As CISANET we have put forward alot of policy suggestions to Govt to transform the Agriculture sector but its so frastrating when you are always being ignored. Its so frastrating when you see 'useless' areas being given more resourses in the national budget. August 19 at 5:05pm • Unlike • 2 • Eric Chintokoma Hanjahanja Is it a curse maybe August 19 at 6:20pm • Unlike • 1 • Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda ‎Greenwell And food sufficiency only refers to availability of maize; sitinalowe chigawo chandiwo iyayi. Of late, I have become so interested in checking GDP of developing countries. It is sad to see that Malawi's GDP (approx. $5.7 Billion) is less than half of Mike Zuckerberg's wealth (approx. $12.1 Billion). And Zuckerberg's Facebook has is just 8 years old. I think as a country, we can also achieve this sort of rapid development if we can choose to work together for the common good. August 19 at 6:36pm • Unlike • 2 • Eric Chintokoma Hanjahanja Nthambazale, divide that by 14 mllion people what do you have per head, pathetic, 48 years of independence August 19 at 6:39pm • Unlike • 1 • Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda ‎Eric When I think about that, I become very angry. We need to do something as soon as possible. And this is the generation to do it. We should not get excited when they tell us that the economy will grow by 7% or we are second fastest growing economy behind Qatar bla bla bla. We need much more than that. August 19 at 6:46pm • Unlike • 1 • Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda Malawi's GDP since 1960: http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&idim=country%3AZAF&dl=en&hl=en&q=gdp+south+africa#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=region&idim=country:MWI&ifdim=region&hl=en_US&dl=en&ind=false . World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance - Google Public Data Explorer www.google.com August 20 at 4:36am • Unlike • 1 • • Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda By following the link above you can compare Malawi's economic growth with other countries in the region. Sub-Saharan Africa's economy has grown from US$348.54 Billion in 2002 to US$1.245 Trillion in 2011 (an expansion of 3.57). In the same period, Malawi's economy has grown from US$2.67 Billion in 2002 to US$5.7 Billion in 2011 (an expansion of 2.13). This shows that our economy is among the slower ones in the region. If the current growth rates do not change, we will soon be trekking to Zambia ( their economy has grown from US$3.72 Billion in 2002 to US$19.21 Billion in 2011) for greener pastures. Of course, we say our neighbors are well endowed with natural resources. But that is not an excuse as we have seen from Singapore's case. August 20 at 5:28am • Unlike • 1 • Greenwell Matchaya very interesting indeed. Zambias exports are now around 10 billion....compare that to malawi's circa 1 billion yet in 199os we were both at around 600million us ds August 20 at 9:25am • Like • Rodney Witman Lunduka Interesting discusion. I have always belived that we need a good overhaul of our institutions. I think Malawi can develop, not up to Norge class, but some significant level in this generation. We have rules and regulations, but we need to have institutions that can ably and fairly enforce them. By institutions I mean our finacial sector, malamulo abwino oti nyamata amene wamaliza school pa chanco and has a brilliant ideas can get a loan and invest and be able to REPAY the loan. Security, so that what has been invested is safe, and if some one tampers with it, the courts can resolve that in record time. Environment, if we are to get oil from under the lake, we do that sustainably and no one is disadvanteged. Institutions that will make sure that no-one even in the highest office can take public funds and kukayika kuchipinda pansi pa bed....and if I am the RBM govenor, if I say no to that I will not be fired for being profesional. Such institutions will make Malawi a heaven for investiments both within and from outside. I think Malawi has all the ingredients for development. August 21 at 4:54pm • Unlike • 1 -------------------------------- i will edit a later •