Malawi Government Annual Budget 2020/2021

Total of MK2.03 Trillion (~US$2.7bn, with $2.0bn for recurrent budget and $700m development budget). It has a deficit of K651bn (~$868m) to be financed from domestic and foreign borrowing. Farm Input Subsidy Program targets 900,000 beneficiaries with subsidized inputs and 100,000 others to get free inputs at a total cost of K38bn (~$51m). Agriculture development allocated K45bn ($60m). Covid-19 Urban Cash transfer Initiative (CUCI) will target 172,337 households in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba Cities. Each household will get K35,000 (~$47) per month for six months starting from June. National Food Reserve Agency and Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) allocated K10bn ($13.3m) and World Bank to provide another $8.4m for maize grain purchases. This will buy about 81,000MT at K200/kg of the target Strategic Grain Reserves minimum requirement of 220,000 MT. ADMARC allowed it to borrow additional funds from banks for maize, cotton and legume purchases. 

Elephant Populations in Kasungu NP Doubled in Five Years 

Elephant numbers increased from 50 in 2015 to 130 today as a result of increased patrolling and subsequent dramatic reductions in poaching. Supported for the past three years by our $8m regional  –  Combating Wildlife Crime in the Malawi-Zambia Landscape (CWC-MAZALA) program – a five-year USAID-supported program.

High Profile Chinese National  Wildlife Traffickers Convicted

The Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has convicted Lin Yun Hua for poaching and selling of listed and protected wildlife species (e.g., pangolins)  in Malawi and Mozambique. Lin is an alleged Asian syndicate kingpin. The court has also convicted six other Chinese nationals and two Malawians found guilty on similar and related charges. Sentencing is scheduled for the 3rd of July. These convictions are attributable to the $8 million MAZALA transboundary CWC activity and the effective Courtroom Monitoring Program of our sub-partner,Lilongwe Wildlife Trust.

USAID’s VukaNow

Combating Wildlife Crime in Southern Africa Activity is seeking concept papers for grants to address a multifaceted program that aims to significantly reduce the level of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife through innovative approaches to: enhancing law enforcement capacity, enhancing judiciary systems, minimizing wildlife crimes and illegal trade, enforcing the law more effectively, and reducing the root causes and enablers of wildlife crime. The application deadline is COB on the 30th of September.