Chakwera calls for urgent reforms to the AIP

By Linda Moyo

Lilongwe, MANA:  President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has said his administration will make urgent reforms to the design and implementation of Affordable Input Programme ( AIP)  to improve its efficiency and protect it from careless acts of negligence, corruption, incompetence, and wastage.

The President made these remarks on 25 October during a National address at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe .

The new reforms will have strategic plans for targeting beneficiaries to the AIP, and will also adopt the use of cooperatives and farming clubs to graduate farmers from the programme.

“These reforms will make sure that the 4 million households that need government interventions are streamlined to various social support programmes according to their need, by using the Unified Beneficiary Register (UBR) and  National Identity Cards,” He said.

The President further said the new targeting system we ensure that every household on the 4 milllion is served by different interventions tailored to their needs and capacity instead of lumping everyone under AIP.

 “These reforms we also make sure that AIP should not be used just for popular politics but as a  government initiatives that should change the lives of many Malawians,” Said Chakwera.

According to Chakwera the reforms have come in after proof that a new and more effective AIP is needed urgently for the fact that despite the successful distribution of subsidized fertilizer to millions in 2020 and in 2021, there are still 3.8 million Malawians who are food insecure in 2022.

The president has emphasised that the new Policing AIP expenditure with discipline to be kept within its 109 billion which will enable starting procurement of fertilizer for next year by placing production orders directly to manufacturer early in the financial year to ensure timely delivery.

The Malawian leader then ensures Malawians that the improved AIP is an innovative way that will make difference to the Agriculture sector and farmers.