BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi special committee on covid-19, which was initially composed of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) top officials only, has been restructured by President Peter Mutharika to accommodate members from other important sectors.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday night, President Peter Mutharika said the special committee will now be called Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus.
“I direct Government to restructure what we have so far called the Cabinet Committee on Coronavirus. From now, it will now be called the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus. This Taskforce will be co-chaired by a Cabinet Minister and a Professor in Public Health. The Taskforce will directly report to me.
“Below Presidential Taskforce, there remain various technical committees which include various professionals and sectors from both the public and private sectors,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika further thanked professors and doctors of the University of Malawi, Leader of the opposition Lobin Lowe and others for accepting to be part of the taskforce.
“But I want to thank professors and doctors from the University of Malawi who have accepted to sit on the Presidential Taskforce. I am equally grateful to the Christian Health Association (CHAM) for accepting to be part of the Taskforce to represent health services in the private sector.
“I also want to thank Honourable Lobin Lowe, Leader of the Opposition, who has kindly accepted to be part of the Taskforce on behalf of Opposition parties. I thank the Chairperson of the Public Affairs Committee for accepting to be part of the Taskforce on behalf of faith organisations. I want to thank the Chiefs Council for delegating a senior chief to be part of the Taskforce and represent chiefs across the country,” he said.
As an additional measure to cushion covid-19 impact on the poor Malawians, Mutharika disclosed that the government has introduced an Emergency Cash Transfer Program serve small scale businesses in and around our major markets in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba and others. This is an extended cash transfer facility to support Malawians who depend on the markets for their survival.
According to Mutharika, government will target a minimum of 172,000 households in the aforementioned areas, representing an estimated 35 percent of the urban population.
“Considering family size of around 5 people based on the 2018 Household Census, this will translate to just under a million people who will be reached with this measure. The program will be implemented for a period of six months translating into 3 months of response and 3 months of recovery.
“Each identified household will be paid electronically through mobile payments K35,000 per month and the amount is based on the prevailing Government minimum wage rate. I have, therefore, directed the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Ministry of Population and Social Welfare to devise an implementation process which will include registration of households in the hotspot areas and its immediate implementation beginning the month of May 2020,” he said.
Mutharika was last seen on MBC tv on 14th April when Minister of Health Jappie Mhango announced that the Malawi would be on lockdown for 21 days from the midnight of Saturday 18 April to midnight on Friday 8 May in an effort to control further spread of the deadly coronavirus.
His Tuesday’s appearance has put to rest unfounded speculations that the president was critically ill and was unable to discharge duties.
