Friday, July 10, 2009
The pursuit for economic independence
Patrick Achitabwino
As a nation we stand tall and proud that we have clocked 45 years of self-rule. The heroes and heroines of this country are venerated as their will to secure a free country materialized either in their life time or long after their demise. It is obvious that their struggle for the independence of the country was not only meant to end at wrestling power from colonialists but to empower the natives of the country to own what belongs to them, to rejoice in the fruits of their resources and spearhead an economic revolution in a great fight against poverty and underdevelopment. Within the political independence is enriched our desire for better jobs, better pays and working conditions, more schools and health clinics, affordable modern amenities and, above all, a better future for our children
We can however not be an independent people without economic independence, so it is said. The American Revolution was not born merely to gain political independence from England but so too economic independence.
After 45 years of political independence we are yet to realize our dream of economic emancipation. More than ever before, the nation is challenged to strategize and implement policies that will spearhead an economic revolution capable of bailing out millions of our citizens from the trap of excruciating poverty. The political trend of the country should shift from one riddled with antagonism and the pull-down syndrome of developmental initiatives to the one that endeavours to reclaim a free-from-poverty independent state.
Our will for economic independence is meant to safeguard the inalienable fundamental human rights of our people. We are reminded by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.
It is worthy noting that the exacerbation of poverty erodes the dignity of the poor and further threatens the stability of political independence. Politics, political systems, democracy are all meaningless when the basic needs of a population are not satisfied. Apparently, the basic need of the people of the country is economic revolution that can lead to economic empowerment necessitating them to redeem their lives from the meshes of poverty. Political independence that lacks the support of economic independence is of no relevance to a family man who hardly has enough to feed his family; it means nothing to a woman who risks to see his children dying of preventable diarrhea arising as a result of unavailability of essential health services.
In an article entitled: The intervention of political and economic independence, Hsu Nai-Chiung says that without secure and full political independence, genuine independence is impossible; without genuine economic independence, secure and full political independence cannot last. Political independence is the precedent for economic independence, while economic independence is the basis for political independence.
The journey to economic emancipation must start from infrastructure investment and development. It is an irrefutable fact that infrastructure development forms the backbone to Africa’s economic independence. Infrastructure plays a vital role in sustainable development, foreign direct investment flow, GDP growth, inflation reduction, job creation, trade, service delivery and the cost of doing business.
We are proud that as a nation we have embarked on addressing our deficiencies in infrastructure development. The current administration has prioritized road networks, rail developments and high above all the Shire-Zambezi waterway. At least that marks the genesis to economic independence. Lord Aikins Adusei states that most rural communities in Africa become inaccessible during rainy seasons and harvested crops are wasted due to lack of transport. It is estimated that close to 40 percent of food produced in rural areas in Africa - countries that gained political independence – rots due to lack of roads and bridges. The absence of electricity, water, sanitation, irrigation facilities and silos limit the ability of the people to create wealth and do away with poverty. Banana farmers in Molere will no longer mourn over rotting bananas as they will be beneficiaries of the Thyolo-Makwasa road, maize traders in phalombe will benefit from the Chitakale-Phalombe-Jali road. Mobility of traders will be easy in Chitipa as a result of the Karonga-chitipa road.
Now is the time that the green-belt initiative takes its course. We need to enhance agricultural infrastructure. For a country blessed with perennial rivers, why should our agriculture depend on rain alone? The first step to economic independence is the adequate availability of food at the household level. The green-belt initiative coupled with the input fertilizer subsidy program form the basis on which we can build the foundations for economic independence. We can no longer be an independent nation if we fail to satisfy our consumption needs in a country with vast masses of fertile land and the political will to attain food security.
The private sector faces the daunting task of becoming the panacea for the country’s economic independence. Our trade should shift from the traditional primary products to value added. Until when shall we ever remain suppliers or raw tobacco leaf and cotton? For the whole span of our independence we have been producing primary products that go to developed countries; they have been adding value to them and sell them back to us. They have been reaping benefits that are six, ten or fifteen times more than that which accrues to us the producers. We lament with renowned literary icon Ngugi wa Thiongo: why should the builder sleep on the verandah? Why should the carpenter sit on the mat? Now we ask ourselves, why should the tillers of the soil earn too little on their tobacco sweat? Why do we allow the dominance of economics that allows tobacco buyer to set prices for our tobacco leaf regardless of the sweat of the tenant? Let us have our own tobacco processing plants. We have illovo sugar for sugar, it is a good example to emulate.
Probably one limiting factor to the attainment of economic independence in the country has been our inability to generate and distribute energy. 45 years after attaining political independence, our electricity supplying utility body can hardly satisfy the energy needs of even less than 7 percent of the population of the country at least 24 hours a day. If hydro power has failed us, let us try other alternative sources of energy. The Finish president on a visit to Nigeria in March 2009 wondered why Nigerians were incapable of generating energy for cooking and other services from the so much sun and wind. 45 years later, we can hardly supply solar or wind energy to our rural citizens. With intermittent electricity supply how do we expect our livestock farmers to benefit from their dairy farming? With no reliable power how do we expect the villagers to shift dependence from fuel wood for cooking?
Lord Aikins Adusei concludes in his paper that without heavy investment in infrastructure, it will be very difficult for Africa to make any progress forward towards economic independence. Increasing access to water, sanitation, roads, electricity, railways, inland water transport system, airports, harbours…are essential to Africa’s economic and social development, for without them it will be impossible to reduce poverty and improve both human and rural lives. It is costly but the price is what we have to pay in continued pursuit for economic independence.
Achieving meaningful economic independence certainly entails enacting legislation that protects the interest of the citizens of the country. We have to regulate the business industry as Indians do. We should be open to foreign investors as we have always been but on the basis that the new companies they establish should have Malawians as major shareholders. Only in that perspective can we be assured that we can no longer be exploited as any great part of investment made in the country certainly has a leaning on the citizens of the country.
In the book entitled ‘Social Contract,’ Rousseau states that human beings must be made citizens before they can be made men, but in order that they may be citizens, government must give liberty under law, must provide for material welfare and remove gross inequality in the distribution of wealth.
This is the best time that our people own and benefit from the natural resources the country has. We are guided by Benjamin Mkapa’s words in an interview with the African Business Editor: “our natural resources are being exploited, not by ourselves but by outsiders. That’s not necessarily bad, but its how that exploitation benefits not just those that invest their capital but those who own those natural resources.
As we celebrate the remarkable achievement of 45 years of independence from colonial rule we should never forget that our independence is not yet complete. We have the duty to achieve economic independence to effectively claim to have self-rule. In the words of a Kenyan constitutional law Professor Dr. PLO Lumumba, unless we change our policies, Africans will remain hewers of wood and drawers of water for advanced economies. The destiny of the Malawi nation should focus to economic independence which will result into the abolition of poverty. Why should our people be among the poorest when they are owners of the world’s richest continent in natural resources? Why should we have in the same country some individuals having net worth in millions of US dollars when thousands more live without knowing if they would have a meal before they sleep? We have the resources to complement our 45 years of independence with economic transformation we only need to change our decisions. Our celebrations for 45 years on independence should mark the genesis for economic independence.
As a nation we stand tall and proud that we have clocked 45 years of self-rule. The heroes and heroines of this country are venerated as their will to secure a free country materialized either in their life time or long after their demise. It is obvious that their struggle for the independence of the country was not only meant to end at wrestling power from colonialists but to empower the natives of the country to own what belongs to them, to rejoice in the fruits of their resources and spearhead an economic revolution in a great fight against poverty and underdevelopment. Within the political independence is enriched our desire for better jobs, better pays and working conditions, more schools and health clinics, affordable modern amenities and, above all, a better future for our children
We can however not be an independent people without economic independence, so it is said. The American Revolution was not born merely to gain political independence from England but so too economic independence.
After 45 years of political independence we are yet to realize our dream of economic emancipation. More than ever before, the nation is challenged to strategize and implement policies that will spearhead an economic revolution capable of bailing out millions of our citizens from the trap of excruciating poverty. The political trend of the country should shift from one riddled with antagonism and the pull-down syndrome of developmental initiatives to the one that endeavours to reclaim a free-from-poverty independent state.
Our will for economic independence is meant to safeguard the inalienable fundamental human rights of our people. We are reminded by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.
It is worthy noting that the exacerbation of poverty erodes the dignity of the poor and further threatens the stability of political independence. Politics, political systems, democracy are all meaningless when the basic needs of a population are not satisfied. Apparently, the basic need of the people of the country is economic revolution that can lead to economic empowerment necessitating them to redeem their lives from the meshes of poverty. Political independence that lacks the support of economic independence is of no relevance to a family man who hardly has enough to feed his family; it means nothing to a woman who risks to see his children dying of preventable diarrhea arising as a result of unavailability of essential health services.
In an article entitled: The intervention of political and economic independence, Hsu Nai-Chiung says that without secure and full political independence, genuine independence is impossible; without genuine economic independence, secure and full political independence cannot last. Political independence is the precedent for economic independence, while economic independence is the basis for political independence.
The journey to economic emancipation must start from infrastructure investment and development. It is an irrefutable fact that infrastructure development forms the backbone to Africa’s economic independence. Infrastructure plays a vital role in sustainable development, foreign direct investment flow, GDP growth, inflation reduction, job creation, trade, service delivery and the cost of doing business.
We are proud that as a nation we have embarked on addressing our deficiencies in infrastructure development. The current administration has prioritized road networks, rail developments and high above all the Shire-Zambezi waterway. At least that marks the genesis to economic independence. Lord Aikins Adusei states that most rural communities in Africa become inaccessible during rainy seasons and harvested crops are wasted due to lack of transport. It is estimated that close to 40 percent of food produced in rural areas in Africa - countries that gained political independence – rots due to lack of roads and bridges. The absence of electricity, water, sanitation, irrigation facilities and silos limit the ability of the people to create wealth and do away with poverty. Banana farmers in Molere will no longer mourn over rotting bananas as they will be beneficiaries of the Thyolo-Makwasa road, maize traders in phalombe will benefit from the Chitakale-Phalombe-Jali road. Mobility of traders will be easy in Chitipa as a result of the Karonga-chitipa road.
Now is the time that the green-belt initiative takes its course. We need to enhance agricultural infrastructure. For a country blessed with perennial rivers, why should our agriculture depend on rain alone? The first step to economic independence is the adequate availability of food at the household level. The green-belt initiative coupled with the input fertilizer subsidy program form the basis on which we can build the foundations for economic independence. We can no longer be an independent nation if we fail to satisfy our consumption needs in a country with vast masses of fertile land and the political will to attain food security.
The private sector faces the daunting task of becoming the panacea for the country’s economic independence. Our trade should shift from the traditional primary products to value added. Until when shall we ever remain suppliers or raw tobacco leaf and cotton? For the whole span of our independence we have been producing primary products that go to developed countries; they have been adding value to them and sell them back to us. They have been reaping benefits that are six, ten or fifteen times more than that which accrues to us the producers. We lament with renowned literary icon Ngugi wa Thiongo: why should the builder sleep on the verandah? Why should the carpenter sit on the mat? Now we ask ourselves, why should the tillers of the soil earn too little on their tobacco sweat? Why do we allow the dominance of economics that allows tobacco buyer to set prices for our tobacco leaf regardless of the sweat of the tenant? Let us have our own tobacco processing plants. We have illovo sugar for sugar, it is a good example to emulate.
Probably one limiting factor to the attainment of economic independence in the country has been our inability to generate and distribute energy. 45 years after attaining political independence, our electricity supplying utility body can hardly satisfy the energy needs of even less than 7 percent of the population of the country at least 24 hours a day. If hydro power has failed us, let us try other alternative sources of energy. The Finish president on a visit to Nigeria in March 2009 wondered why Nigerians were incapable of generating energy for cooking and other services from the so much sun and wind. 45 years later, we can hardly supply solar or wind energy to our rural citizens. With intermittent electricity supply how do we expect our livestock farmers to benefit from their dairy farming? With no reliable power how do we expect the villagers to shift dependence from fuel wood for cooking?
Lord Aikins Adusei concludes in his paper that without heavy investment in infrastructure, it will be very difficult for Africa to make any progress forward towards economic independence. Increasing access to water, sanitation, roads, electricity, railways, inland water transport system, airports, harbours…are essential to Africa’s economic and social development, for without them it will be impossible to reduce poverty and improve both human and rural lives. It is costly but the price is what we have to pay in continued pursuit for economic independence.
Achieving meaningful economic independence certainly entails enacting legislation that protects the interest of the citizens of the country. We have to regulate the business industry as Indians do. We should be open to foreign investors as we have always been but on the basis that the new companies they establish should have Malawians as major shareholders. Only in that perspective can we be assured that we can no longer be exploited as any great part of investment made in the country certainly has a leaning on the citizens of the country.
In the book entitled ‘Social Contract,’ Rousseau states that human beings must be made citizens before they can be made men, but in order that they may be citizens, government must give liberty under law, must provide for material welfare and remove gross inequality in the distribution of wealth.
This is the best time that our people own and benefit from the natural resources the country has. We are guided by Benjamin Mkapa’s words in an interview with the African Business Editor: “our natural resources are being exploited, not by ourselves but by outsiders. That’s not necessarily bad, but its how that exploitation benefits not just those that invest their capital but those who own those natural resources.
As we celebrate the remarkable achievement of 45 years of independence from colonial rule we should never forget that our independence is not yet complete. We have the duty to achieve economic independence to effectively claim to have self-rule. In the words of a Kenyan constitutional law Professor Dr. PLO Lumumba, unless we change our policies, Africans will remain hewers of wood and drawers of water for advanced economies. The destiny of the Malawi nation should focus to economic independence which will result into the abolition of poverty. Why should our people be among the poorest when they are owners of the world’s richest continent in natural resources? Why should we have in the same country some individuals having net worth in millions of US dollars when thousands more live without knowing if they would have a meal before they sleep? We have the resources to complement our 45 years of independence with economic transformation we only need to change our decisions. Our celebrations for 45 years on independence should mark the genesis for economic independence.
