Malawi has secured a $12.9 million grant from the Icelandic government to improve service delivery in three district councils: Salima, Balaka, and Machinga.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha, and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr. Ben Phiri. The funding will support the enhancement of basic services under the expanded Basic Services Programme.
Mwanamvekha commended Iceland for extending the programme from two to five districts, noting that the move will significantly strengthen local service delivery. Phiri assured that the K23 billion grant will be utilised efficiently to meet the programme’s objectives.
Speaking on behalf of Iceland, Head of Mission David Bjarnason described the initiative as performance-based, stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in council operations.
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