Stakeholders Told to Spend Not to Lose Funding

Public Universities and National Technical Colleges under the Skills for A Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project must pull up their socks; work harder than before; spend the 100-million-dollar project money within allocated timeframe or risk losing it. 

This is the dominant message to the nine public higher learning institutions, seven national technical colleges and 15 community technical colleges across Malawi under the SAVE Project. 

World Bank Task Team Leader, Nobuyuki Tanaka said at the last leg of the central region Mid Term Review (MTR) meeting in Lilongwe that only 33 million of the 100-million US dollars (33%) has been spent since 2021 when the project started.

Tanaka emphasized this point during the interactive meeting with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe and Salima Technical Colleges.

“Just a reminder that if you don’t use the money, it will be cancelled,” he stated.

Tanaka reminded stakeholders that the SAVE Project Objective is to “ increase access, particularly for females, to labour market relevant skills development programs, in participating institutions, targeting priority areas of the economy.

 “We will all try to achieve this objective,” he stated adding that stakeholders should share their ideas on how the objective should be achieved.

“Make sure you plan and complete your activities to achieve the objective of the project.

“This is the opportunity for us to listen to you and also for you to listen to us” he said 

Project Manager for the SAVE Project Grenard Mkwende said the MTR is a 

Self-reflection process looking at what the project stakeholders have done but also suggest how they want the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to help all participating institutions achieve the project objective.

Said Mkwende: “The big elephant in the house is construction. We have not used our money because we have not done construction,” he emphasized saying, “we want you to start construction,”

Participating institutions in the SAVE Project include University of Malawi (UNIMA); Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS) (CoM); Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS) (KCN); University of Malawi (UNIMA); Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR); Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mzuzu University (MZUNI); Domasi College of Education (DCE), and Nalikule College of Education (NCE). Seven national technical colleges include Livingstonia Technical College; Mzuzu Technical College; Lilongwe Technical College; Salima Technical College; Namitete Technical College; Nasawa Technical College and Soche Technical College and 15 community technical colleges across Malawi.