CoST Malawi has unveiled the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima as its new Champion. This follows an appointment made by the country’s President Prof. Peter Mutharika.

In his acceptance speech at a recent event in Lilongwe, Malawi, Chilima urged Malawians to hold hands in ensuring strict accountability over public resources so that common citizens receive full benefits of various development projects the government implements.

He said,“As we look forward to the next 50 years, as Malawians, we need to take responsibility of our own destiny and this should start with us being accountable for the resources that have been entrusted with. I commit myself to champion the CoST agenda whole heartedly in Malawi”. He noted that through the program Malawi can be a shining example on construction governance.

The role of the Champion is to promote and institutionalise CoST across Government as a tool to improve transparency and accountability in public infrastructure.

The Vice President also heads the country’s Public Service Reform Commission which aims to facilitate the creation of an effective and efficient Public Service that will spur economic growth. Linking his portfolio at the Commission and the CoST agenda, the CoST Champion said “he is personally committed to ensure that reforms incorporate CoST principles, so that disclosures are not only limited to procurement principles but also cover the whole value chain of construction activities”.

A spokesperson for CoST Malawi said,“The Multi-Stakeholder Group is very excited with the appointment as it demonstrates government’s commitment and support for the CoST initiative. We are further excited that the Public Service Reform Commission is to prioritize the enactment of the amended Public Procurement Act which is expected to incorporate CoST principles for public infrastructure projects”.