Tag Archives: Affordable Inputs Program (AIP)

Agriculture, Malawi, Opinion

How Chakwera has killed Malawians with corrupt, incompetent Tonse Govt

Burnett Munthali

By Burnett Munthali

I left home on Friday 29 December 2023 on an aimless walk to no particular place. Then I met someone I have frequently chatted with on some occasions. We greeted each other after which I was asked if I had planted already.

I responded that I would go farming next farming season specifically focusing on crops that do not need any chemical fertilizer.

Then I will spend almost a year producing manure for Maize production for the next farming season. I think we have reached a point where we should take food production seriously at the family level do away with chemical fertilizers and embrace manure.

However, I’m afraid Malawi is likely to harvest less than what we expect in the 2023/2024 harvesting season. The government’s approach to the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) program is so erratic that we don’t seem to be going in the right direction of food security.

Even the policymakers do not know exactly what the future looks like and which factors must be addressed that may cause low food production in the country.

Tonse Alliance Government is accused of preferring Commercial farmers to poor farmers. The people of Nanjiri have cried foul that the government has started supporting Nzeru Za Abambo Farm with Agricultural Inputs Program (AIP) fertilizer leaving out the poor farmers. What has been reported is a serious abuse of programs given to the wrong people meant for particular beneficiaries and what would one call this?

Poor farmers feel neglected by the Tonse Alliance Government regarding AIP. The farmers are not benefiting from the program the way they are supposed to. Tonse Alliance Government aims at making the poor people even more poorer than ever before.

Reports indicate that only a few poor farmers are benefiting from the AIP fertilizer program on the ground. One farmer from Nanjiri reported that only 2 or 3 families were able to get fertilizer for this farming season.

Another farmer from Ntchisi said only about 300 families from 4 villages were able to access AIP fertilizer from the government this year. He said millions of people in Ntchisi are disappointed with the government’s approach and handling of AIP as they do not see the importance of the program anymore.

Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale was contacted on the reports and here’s his response:

“82% of beneficiaries have accessed fertilizer as of today and only 18% remaining, which is a huge progress. The Ministry of Agriculture early this year said 1.5 million farmers will benefit from the 2023 Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) in which the farmers will be buying a bag of fertilizer at K15,000. Malawi’s national budget for the upcoming fiscal year allocates K117 billion to the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), of which K110 billion is earmarked for fertilizer subsidies.

“The Ministry of Agriculture would like to inform all farmers in the country that as predicted by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS). the 2023/2024 rainfall season is expected to be influenced by El Niño conditions that is known to cause prolonged and devastating, dry spells and/ or floods. In this regard, most of the districts in the southern and central regions of the country are likely to experience normal to below-normal rains for the season. There is also an expected delay in the onset of the rainy season by at least two weeks in some areas that will in turn lead to delays for the country to receive effective planting rains. From January to March 2024, most areas should anticipate normal to below-normal total rainfall amounts, with the possibility of above-normal rainfall in January.

Issues Being Received

“In implementing the AIP, the Ministry has received some feedback as follows:

  • Missing GVHs
  • Some GVHs have very few beneficiaries, sometimes not even a single beneficiary.
  • Some GVHs were put under the wrong constituency.
  • The network on some phones is on and off.
  • Only one type of fertilizer is found in markets.
    •Long distance to markets.
  • Names showing already redeemed.
  • Names showing on registers and not in the redemption
    system.
  • Clerks and community leaders selling fertilizer to vendors.
  • Clerks and community leaders are asking for top-up money per bag.” How We Are Addressing The Above Issues

“The Ministry appreciates this feedback and pleads to the public to continue doing so. The following is how the Ministry is addressing the raised concerns through all structures.

•We are working with the Ministry of Finance for more resources to increase the number of beneficiaries in the heavily affected Group Village Heads (GVHs) and the missing GVHs.

  • Aligning the GVH to correct constituencies. This is almost done.

• Replacing the phones that have network problems or have a slow processor.

• The Ministry will continue to deliver fertilizer to retailing points until a beneficiary receives both fertilizers.

  • Mobile markets have commenced so beneficiaries should only travel short distances to access fertilizers.
  • We have reported to the police to investigate what happened for names to be redeemed without their presence and
    knowledge.
  • We have uploaded data of those whose names were on a register and not in the system. They are now buying without further problems. Balaka and Mangochi especially.
  • Working with the Police and ACB to arrest clerks and community leaders conniving with vendors.”

“The rest are allegations. I have provided facts. I would also like to assure you that the government will take care of some people who will not be on the AIP list as follows:

1) 184,920 households will receive MK150,000 each to those affected by Cyclone in Blantyre Rural, Thyolo, Phalombe, Chiradzulu,
Mulanje, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Balaka, and Zomba Rural. That is K27.7bn to be given out.

2) 105,000 households will receive MK150,000 in the cities of Zomba, Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Lilongwe City to reduce poverty shocks. That
is K15.7bn to be given out.”

3) 325,000 households will be on the Social Cash Transfer program. Each household will receive about K15,000 per month. That is K58bn to
be given out.”

4) The total number of people to be on CSPWP will increase from 362,450 to 520,000.”

  1. About 1 million people will be absorbed in AGCOM 2, which has over K500bn”.

Feedback: bonnetmunthali2101@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or The Editor

Agriculture, Malawi

Karonga’s Chilumba depot AIP officials accused of extortion

Maravi Post Reporter

KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-The Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) officers at the Chilumba depot in Karonga are being accused of demanding additional money from the beneficiaries to access the Inputs.

The number of the beneficiaries who talked with this publication on a condition of anonymity alleged that each beneficiary is told to pay K7000 or K5000 after negotiation if he or she wants to purchase the Inputs.

They alleged that after collecting their national identity cards, the officers only sold the products to those who managed to meet their demands.

According to them, those who fail to pay the extra money MK7000 or MK5000 usually go home without accessing the Inputs.

“This is like a must here. Even if the depot has enough AIP products, some beneficiaries are going back empty despite coming in the wee hours or having cash to buy it,” they alleged.

On whether they lodged their complaints to the authority, they responded, “We only informed our MP.”

MP for the area, Uchizi Mkandawire who is also the Minister of Youths and Sports while accepting to have received such reports said he referred it to the police.

Chilumba Police Officer In Charge, Mrs Bahati Kwenda said she immediately deployed her officers on the ground after being tipped by the MP.

“My boys found beneficiaries in different groups when they reached the selling point. And when they advised them not to give extra money to access the inputs, the beneficiaries were very happy. My boys also advised the officials not to demand extra money from beneficiaries,” she said.

Kwenda then asked those who paid extra money to report to her office with evidence.

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) principal public relations officer, Egrita Ndala who said was on holiday said police are also responsible for such “criminal” matters and urged beneficiaries to report such issues to their nearest office.

But on his part, Chilumba AIP depot senior official, Covax Mkumbwa while accepting to have heard such complaints failed to explain what step his office took.

A senior official within the depot who talked with this publication anonymously questioned Mkumbwa’s attitude on this issue.

“I also talked with him after receiving complaints but he responded provocatively. It’s like he doesn’t care and has someone senior to protect him,” he said.

Meanwhile, social commentator, Jackson Msiska has questioned the police on the way they’re handling the case.

Through his organization, Msiska said will conduct a further investigation and pen ACB as well as the office of the Ombudsman to take legal action against the suspects.

Opinion, Politics

How will Chakwera clear his name in AIP mess?

Maravi Post Author
Chakwera fired Lowe for AIP mess

By Burnett Munthali

Reverend Lazarus Chakwera is involved in the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) fraud. The President is hiding behind his national address, and the likely reshuffle to come.

President Lazarus Chakwera knows what is happening in his government but is just pretending not to know anything about the scandal.

If he doesn’t know anything then he must step down immediately or Malawians will not give him another five years contract.

His family is involved in AIP fraud and that a sign of a man who cannot control anyone including his own people.

From the look of things our President is a very weak leader who is taking sides in making his decisions on very important issues. He normally takes long to act on something, which is bad for the country.

Lazarus Chakwera demonstrated his weakness during the appointment of his first cabinet and continues to do so.

Malawians are still skeptical over the firing of Former Agriculture Minister Lobin Lowe as people know they are brothers in law.

If the President was serious enough, he would have fired more people connected with the scandal. Hence, the President should not be taken seriously. He has a hidden agenda.

Chakwera’s habit of finding faults on the Chairperson for committee on Agriculture, Sameer Suleiman for revealing the thirty billion fraud is a similar equation to that of the Director of the Malawi Anti Corruption Bureau, Martha Chizuma.

You will remember that this President played the same blame game. He is not prepared to fight any corruption but benefit from it in totality.

The President should not waste his time and energy intimidating any arm of government as they were established to function independently from each other and professionally.

Chakwera must start working, implementing good policies and fighting corruption head on.

Tonse Alliance is giving Malawians yet another raw deal of expired AIP fertilizer which is arriving in this country. That’s taking Malawians too far and for granted.

This clueless government is not even aware of the burning anger in the hearts of the people of this country. Nobody wants retrogression but progress.

Only few individuals will choose to talk good of Tonse Alliance Government for fictitious reasons.

The President’s national address is just empty talk as usual for nothing but hide and seek. There is nothing serious in all his speeches. Pastors are bad leaders, they are just preachers and not doers, they believe in making speeches, and not action. They steal a lot as well.

Our leader should not allow colleges because it affects the education system of the nation. The President made a lot of talk before ascending to power, he should not, therefore, find it difficult to perform. Let him go back to his manifesto, or run government professionally. Simple !

Chakwera must reshuffle his cabinet and stop creating ministries that are useless such as ministry of civic education and national unity.

What does minister Timothy Mtambo have to teach Malawians after all those rough speeches and violent protests he organized in 2019 – 2020? Such ministries do not make sense and should not exist.

They are just a waste of resources for nothing because Malawi is not a divided nation to have such an establishment.

Probably countries coming from internal fighting and war could have such. Chakwera’s personal advisors look like they were created for job opportunities only. The President keeps goofing all the time and he doesn’t

His Excellency, the President loves traveling all over different places in the middle of his own austerity measures and a failing economy.

This is the time to reduce his international trips and work on the current economic situation head on. Foreign exchange shortages, fuel crisis, government corruption, the rising cost of essential commodities do not just end with prayer but action.

Mr President needs help from government officials, opposition, technocrats, university students, researchers and everyone else because on his own with his team, he has failed and is going nowhere. Tonse Alliance Government doesn’t have the answers yet on how to take Malawi forward. We are driving towards the ditch (kuphompho) each day.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor

Agriculture, Malawi

Consumers body calls for independence forensic audit on AIP mess

Maravi Post Reporter
Chakwera fired Lowe for AIP mess

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA) has asked President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government to swiftly come up with financial intelligence investigation on Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) mess.

In an interview with Maravi Post on Sunday, October 30, 2022, CAMA executive Director, John Kapito said that Chakwera simply confirmed what was already in the public despite disclosing names of the beneficiary of the stolen money such as suppliers and Bankers.

Kapito said Malawians expect President Chakwera to have already triggered the legal process to hold various individual and institutions that facilitated the illegal transaction.

He said Chakwera should hold Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), treasury and financial intelligence Agency accountable for being accomplices in the illegal transaction of that denied poor Malawians access to affordable fertilizer.

He observes that the blames can not be held to the minister only as no cabinet minister can travel without President knowledge.

Kapito said Chakwera missed an opportunity to tell the nation what he is doing to stabilise the economy including issues to do with forex, fuel shortage, high cost of living, closure of ADMARC, high unemployment levels and among others.

He adds that the President should take an example of Late Magufuli who stopped his international trips which helped him to restore his country’s economy.

He therefore reminded Chakwera that Malawians who is addressing now are the same who he addressed during his campaign and they deserve honesty.

Meanwhile, Malawi Parliament has established a joint committee which is set to inquire all stakeholders and the former minister of Agriculture on the matter.

Agriculture, Lifestyle

Malawi’s Mzimba woman faints over commotion for AIP’ items scramble

Maravi Post Reporter

By Thandie Chadzandiyani

MZIMBA-(MaraviPost)-A woman whose details are not known fainted while another was rushed to Raiply health center after injuring her legs following a commotion at an Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) selling point at Raiply in Mzimba district on Saturday.

Anne Chirwa one of the beneficiaries of AIP around Raiply told us this happened as many people were jostling for the few inputs which arrived at the selling point as many such selling points have run out of the inputs or suppliers did not turn up

This comes at a time when the ministry of agriculture has conceded that very few AIP suppliers honored their contracts to supply the inputs across the country.

More to come…..