Introduction
The Ministry of Local Government, Culture and Unity (MLGCU) was established in order to promote local governance and participatory democracy by creating an enabling environment for socio-economic development and social stability of the local authorities. It is at the epicentre of coordination and facilitation of the delivery of all rural livelihoods and empowerment programmes. It anchors the Local Government System that supports local governments to effectively deliver quality services, rural development agenda to accelerate socio-economic development of the local authorities. It is key to the improvement of the living standards of the rural poor and ensuring their active participation in the fight against poverty.
Legislative And Other Mandates
The Ministry derives its mandate from the Constitution (1994), the Local Government Act (1998), and the National Decentralization Policy (1998). The Ministry is also guided by the following legislative and other mandates in its operations:
(i) The Chiefs Act, 2007 (under review);
(ii) The Integrated and Rural Development Strategy (2017);
(iii) The National Decentralization Policy (1998) (under review);
(iv) The Ministry’s Strategic Plan (2017 – 2022);
(v) The Malawi 2063 and the Malawi 2063 Implementation Plan (MIP-1);
(vi) The Public Finance Management Act;
(vii) The Public Service Reforms Policy;
(viii) The Public Service Management Policy;
(ix) The Programme Support Document (2017) an implementation document for Integrated Rural Development and Decentralization;
The Ministry is also guided by regional and international agreements such as the Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our Vision
A responsive and efficient local government system.
Our Mission
To promote and accelerate local governance and development through formulation and enforcement of evidence-based policies, standards, systems and capacities in order to achieve sustainable socio-economic development in the country.
Our Core Values
The Ministry is guided by the following core values: (i) integrity, (ii) professionalism, (iii) transparency and accountability, (iv) gender sensitivity, (v) teamwork, (vi) responsiveness and (vii) collaboration.
Strategic Objectives
(a) To provide policy and legal framework for the efficient and effective operations of the local authorities;
(b) To promote an effective system of local governance and development;
(c) To promote and provide policy direction on rural development in Malawi;
(d) To promote socio economic development of the rural communities.
