Lilongwe, October 19, 2021 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Malawi signed a new, five-year, bilateral assistance agreement, valued at approximately 1 trillion MWK ($1.2 billion), to support Malawi 2063 and advance a more self-reliant Malawi that is gender-equitable and democratically accountable.
The Honorable Felix Lafiel Mlusu, Minister of Finance, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Robert Scott, and USAID/Malawi Mission Director Catie Lott participated in the signing ceremony demonstrating the two governments’ deep commitment to shared development objectives that benefit the Malawian people. Through the new Agreement, the U.S. and Malawian governments will coordinate on a range of development projects that empower Malawi’s youth to lead healthy, informed, and productive lives; strengthen the public sector’s accountability and effectiveness; and increase inclusive and sustainable wealth generation through private sector investment.
U.S. Ambassador Scott remarked, “The new agreement we signed today builds upon the United States’ long-term relationship with Malawi and furthers our commitment to work together in support of the Malawi 2063 vision for an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation.”
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Felix Mlusu stated at the function, “We welcome the support from the Government of the United States of America through the Agreement that we have signed today. In our quest to grow and diversify our economy in line with our Malawi 2063, we need the support of friends like USAID.”
Over 60 years of partnership, USAID has supported Malawi’s development through projects in sectors such as health, education, democracy and governance, and environment. The grant agreement between USAID and the Government of Malawi signifies a new stage in the two governments’ commitment to fostering sustainability, engaging local actors, and producing greater development results for the country.