The sentiments were raised last Friday when the delegation comprising of Eritrean government and UNDP officials visited social and economic facilities being constructed by the SCDP in Dedza.

“We have gained a lot of experience from these people focused initiatives,” said Ephraim Teskay, the national economic expert in the Eritrean Ministry of Economic Development who was leader of the delegation.

“We have learnt much on community participation and government commitment to the programme,” he said.
In his remarks Bill Chanza, UNDP/UNCDF programme manager for
Decentralisation and Governance in Malawi said, SCDP is a programme that has enhanced local resource mobilisation for local assemblies in the country.

“If the country is to achieve meaningful social economic development at grassroots level, local assemblies must be able to mobilise resources on their own without necessarily having to depend on the central government.

Chanza said his office commissioned a study, which revealed that local resource mobilisation is key to local development.

“Thanks to the SCDP, it is the only programme that is strengthening the capacity and economic base of local assemblies,” he said.

SCDP was introduced in 1985 to implement a decentralised urbanisation policy by supporting small and medium sized towns.

In Dedza, SCDP is constructing a modern market, bus station, civic offices, town hall and upgrading of unplanned traditional housing areas.

The programme promotes small and medium sized towns and their local governments by strengthening their economic and financial bases. It ensures sustainability of the facilities and infrastructure by supporting the local assemblies in urban management services.

Daniel Phiri, the Dedza Town Assembly CEO told the delegation that as in other towns where SCDP was implemented his Assembly expected to improve and expand its revenue base, service delivery and be able to attract private investment into the town..

“Dedza is a prolific producer of timber, vegetables, fruits, cereals and the farmers will have easy access to modern market facilities,” he said adding, “Other socio-economic benefits are increased employment opportunities.”

The CEO noted that even before completion of the infrastructures and facilities, local residents benefit from the programme through the sale of local materials for construction such as bricks, sand quarry and other.

“The programme will go a long way to improve the well being of the town residents and their rural counterparts,” he said.

While in the country the Eritrean delegation also visited Mchinji, Mzuzu, Nkhata Bay, Salima, Thyolo and Blantyre to see how project funded under UNDP through UNCDF and DDF were implemented.

by Charles Mkula,
ZTO Malawi correspondent

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