On May 9 to 13, 2011, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Deputy Vice President for Compact Operations in East and Southern Africa, Andrew Mayock, led a high-level mission from the MCC to Malawi.

The team was in the country to hold consultations that were aimed at providing an overview of the Malawi Compact implementation, in order to develop a common vision and to work through key immediate issues before the Malawi Compact Enters into Force (EIF). 

The key issues discussed included the establishment of the MCA-Malawi Accountable Entity that will be responsible for the implementation of the Compact, the development of a detailed financial plan for turning around ESCOM and progress on other pre-implementation activities.

During the mission, the MCC team held discussions with Government and ESCOM Officials, including the Minister of Finance, the Chief Secretary, Secretary to the Treasury and the Solicitor General.

Preparations to establish the Compact implementation framework began in September 2009 and have been running along-side the project development track.

The MCC and the Government of Malawi have been working together to set up the MCA-Malawi as an Accountable Entity   as a trust established under the Trustees Incorporation Act.  The trust will be a legal entity which will be administered and managed through a Board of Trustees, a Stakeholders’ Committee and a Management Unit.

During the meetings, the Government of Malawi and the MCC discussed schedules for the setting up of the MCA-Malawi Board, stakeholder’s committee and the accountable entity, recruitment of key staff for the management unit, the mobilisation of procurement and fiscal agents and the infrastructure development activity.

Speaking at the closing of the consultations, the Deputy Chief Secretary Necton Mhura said a lot had been achieved during the consultations with the MCC team.

“We would like to see moving fast particularly the recruitment of the board of Trustees, the management team and also the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer for ESCOM,” said Mhura.

Mhura said the two sides had agreed on certain steps that need to be undertaken in order to get the Compact to start running. These steps include the appointment of the board of trustees, the process of the recruitment of the management team of the local entity and specific things the Malawi Government agreed to undertake, before the Compact comes into force.

Malawi signed a one sector Compact with the US based Millennium Challenge Corporation on 7 April, 2011 and it is expected that the implementation of the program will begin in the first quarter of 2012.