Right on the heels of the recent Launch of the CoST International Programme in South Africa, the African Development Bank, Malawi Office walked the extra yard by approving a twelve month grant of USD 125,150 for the CoST Malawi programme.

The grant will go a long way in strengthening the Malawi Multi stakeholder Group to advance the CoST agenda to a wider spectrum of interest groups such as civil society organisations, the media, politicians, local councils, procuring entities in addition to procuring consultancy services of an Assurance expert on a number of selected projects.

At the handover ceremony of the facility, the AfDB Country representative Andrew Mwaba (third right)set the tone for other cooperating partners to follow by explaining that “good governance and combating corruption (which are objectives at the core of CoST) have been clearly highlighted in the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness as areas where more support to country efforts and coordination is needed to improve development performance”.

Dr Mwaba went further to announce that CoST Malawi is a third Non State Actor to implement an AfDB funded project in Malawi.

The interim MSG Chairperson Joe Ching’ani thanked AfDB for the support and assured the bank that the resources will be used prudently. The National Construction Industry Council which provides the Secretariat of the CoST Malawi programme was in attendance.