Malawi Growth and Development Strategy - from poverty to prosperity 2006-2011.

The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) is the overarching strategy for Malawi for the next five years, from 2006/07 to 2010/2011 fiscal years. The purpose of the MGDS is to serve as a single reference document for policy makers in Government; the Private Sector; Civil Society Organizations; Donors and Cooperating Partners and the general public on socio-economic growth and development priorities for Malawi. The overriding philosophy of the MGDS is poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. The MGDS identifies six key priority areas which define the direction the country intends to take in the next five years to achieve economic growth and wealth creation which are critical for immediate improvement in the economic well-being of Malawians. These are agriculture and food security; irrigation and water development; transport infrastructure development; energy generation and supply; integrated rural development; prevention and management of nutrition disorders, HIV and AIDS. The long-term goal is to make Malawi a hunger-free nation. The medium term expected outcome is that food will be available for all Malawians in sufficient quantities and qualities, at affordable prices. Main strategies include: Improving agricultural productivity; Implementing policies to improve the functioning of maize and other food crop markets; Implementing policies that do not distort the market and which reduce dependency on food aid; Putting in place an effective early warning system; Promoting income generating activities; Improving the coordination and management of food aid and imports; and Improving the ability to import and distribute food through better domestic regional connectivity, and Construction of steel bin silos in strategic areas to improve medium to long term food storage capacity.