By: Lloyd M’bwana
The country’s international major charitable organization, Oxfam is calling the Malawi’s leadership to start formulating realistic policies in a bid addressing extreme social-economic inequalities which have worsened poverty.
The call comes amid daunting poverty levels Malawians are subjected to in various spheres of life including education, health, incomes, and political powers among other due to inequality or unequal distribution of resources.
Through a report titled, “A dangerous divide: The state of inequality in Malawi” which has been concurrently launched with 2015-2020 Malawi Country Strategic Plan in the capital Lilongwe, Oxfam has noted with concerns on how unfair distribution of resources have worsened poverty levels in the country which requires deeper analyst with realistic policy measures in addressing the vice.
In the report, Oxfam has unpacked inequality consequences including escalation of corruption, diminishing of social mobility, hampering economic growth which if not addressed timely ending poverty will be a toll order.
The study modeled the link between inequalities; growth and poverty in Malawi over the next five years as in 2015 8 million people, 50 percent of the country’s population live in poverty. Yet if inequality continues to rise as noted recently that by 2020 over 1.5 Malawians will be poor. Unless Malawi acts now to reduce inequality, even rapid economic growth will fail to reduce poverty levels in the country.
The report revealed that education qualifications are unfairly distributed in favour of the better-off or rich people such that those attaining Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) biased towards the rich people than the average Malawians. Thus, government plans to re-introduce fees in primary schools and hiking of the same fees in secondary schools is likely to deteriorate the situation.
The study has disputed the introduction of user fees in public hospitals saying the move will worsen people’s poverty particularly poor women and children in rural areas whose incomes remain unsustainable.
The analysis has further found out that there is unequal distribution of political powers with the concentration from one region within parties with also slow progress on women empowerment as 50-50 campaign remains a dream as noted in the 2014 tripartite elections, the number of and proportional of women in parliament declining from 43 to 32 representing a fall quarter.
Another contentious area, the report has tackled is on escalation of corruption as many Malawians are forced to pay brides and illegal fees to access services and also that stealing of public money remains a challenge to the nation.
The Maravi Post caught up with Nellie Nyang’wa, Regional Director Oxfam International on workable recommendation Malawi could pursue in addressing the extreme economic inequality, saying realistic policies formulation was an ideal amongst government, institutions and corporations.
“In Malawi inequality is rising and the consequences for the poorest people will be dire unless action is taken seriously with workable policies. The country’s inequality can be addressed through fair progressive taxation where the burden falls most on those with greatest ability to pay and ending harmful tax avoidance and evasion which cost the poorest counties billions in lost revenues.
“Investing in vital public services such as health care and education, provided free at the pint of use as these are fundamental to human development, without which we are those that are born from poor family to remain poor the rest of their lives and their children to come.
“Other people can’t move from poverty unless are provided with subsidies while others economic empowerment works magic to them to walk out of poverty as such all policies must address the two plus delivering decent work and fair wages for all”, urges Nyang’wa.
The 2015-2020 Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) in Malawi aims at improving rural Malawians as active citizens with greater influence over the decision that affects their lives with the emphasis of putting women’s rights at the centre of its work.
The OCS is designed in a way that evidence from communities will be used for its national level influencing work the country’s districts including Karonga, Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa, Mchinji, Lilongwe, Balaka and Phalombe.
