President Bingu wa muthalika yesterday launched the country’s - wepon gainst poverty -the Malawian Growth Development Strategy (MGDS) - in Lilongwe.

But donors and other stakeholders saild while the five-year blue print has the capacity ro the Malawi out of poverty to prosperity, implemention remains the major challenge for the achievement of the achievemnet of the strategie’s objectives.

The MGDS- touted as a home grown stragy having been developed locally without donor influnce - suceeds paper the poverty Reduction strategy Paper which the Muthalika administration scrapped off lacking a business plan that recognises the private sector as the engine of ecomomic growth.

Speaking during the launch, Muthalika noited that the main objective of the MGDS is to attain an annual growth rate of at least six percent that experts say is ideal for a country like Malawi to meangfully reduce poverty.

“MGDS seeks to maintain a balance between economic and social sectors of the economy, by taking into consideration broad thematic areas such as sustainable economic growth; social development; social protection; infranstructure development and good governance.

“Its fundamental principle is to achieve poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth and development. Through this policy we are able to empower th epoor inour country to begin to benit from economic and social transformation,” said Muthalika.

The world Bank, Malawi’s key ally in the poverty fight, which represent the county’s development partners at the function, said now that government, it should concentrate on document, it should concetrate on implementation.

Speaking for the world Bank the Bretton Wood institution’s country economicst for Malawi, Khwima Nthera, also aurged the government to fare annual national budgets in line with the priorities the document has set.

“Malawians are aware of the progress made in the achievement of microeconomic stability and the potential gains that debt relief offers. The challenge noe is ensure that these translate into jobs, availability of clean water, effiecient and uninterrupted water supply, well- maintaijned roads, improved education and health services,” said Nthara.

Speaking on behalf of traditional leaders in the county, senior Chief Kaomba of Kasungu said traditonal leaders have hope in the MGDS because it strives to achieve the balsnce between investment in economic growth and the social sector.

“On our part, we shall lobby government to recallocate resources from non - priority areas such as general administration and economic services in our various communities.” said Kaomba.

He added: “Until such a time that the poorest of the poor in our villages can see a positive change in their lives, reducing poverty in our communities ramains an ending war. Our involvement in the fight, however, can made the difference,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the private sector, Press Corporation Limited group Matthews Chikaonda hailed the stragy as an important tool for transforming the country and hoped that it would be implemented. He also urged government to cost all the programmes fully so that projects have enough funds to drive this economic agenda.

Kondwani Thindwa.