Today the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced additional support to strengthen democratic institutions in Malawi. Today’s announcement includes $11.7 million to strengthen Malawi’s Parliament and a planned $15 million project to strengthen local governance to improve the delivery of government services to citizens in eight districts in Malawi.
The $11.7 million for USAID’s new five-year Strengthening Parliament's Role in Malawi's Development project will help Malawi’s Parliament strengthen its legislative, oversight, and representative functions. The project will provide technical expertise in legislative analysis and drafting, and support Parliamentary oversight actions such as independent inquiries, depositions, and public hearings. It will leverage the full expertise of Malawi’s public service by facilitating stronger coordination between parliament and statutory oversight institutions to better combat corruption and further empower civil society and media to demand accountability.
In the coming weeks, USAID plans to award a $15 million, subject to appropriations, five-year project to support Malawi’s local governance, based on the principle that sustainable socioeconomic development requires that decisions about development are made at the local level in Malawi’s communities and districts. Eight districts will be selected in collaboration with local and national Malawian officials.
Following Malawi’s landmark 2020 election and peaceful transition of power, USAID is working alongside the Government of Malawi and civil society to ensure that democracy delivers to citizens by providing high-quality public services, using scarce public resources efficiently, preventing and penalizing corruption, and safeguarding human rights and gender equality. USAID partners with Malawian institutions to strengthen democratic processes such as elections and legislation, and address governance issues that affect sustainable development in health, education, women’s empowerment, agriculture, and natural resource management.