Malawi Feed the Poor with Presidential Jet Sale

Blantyre (Antara/AFP) - Malawi will use $15 million from the sale of the country's presidential jet to feed the poor and grow crops to fight malnutrition, an official said Thursday. "It was a collective government decision that the money realised from the sale of the jet will be used to purchase maize locally and some for legume production," said Nations Msowoya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance. Food experts have said 10 percent of the country's 13 million citizens face food shortages this year. President Joyce Banda decided last year to sell the jet, bought by her successor Bingu wa Mutharika for $22 million, due to the cost of running it. Former colonial power Britain, Malawi's main bilateral donor, reduced its aid to Malawi by £3 million ($4.7 million) after the 14-passenger aircraft was purchased. Mutharika, who died last year from heart attack, often defended the buying of the jet, saying it was cheap to run and a status symbol for the poor southern African nation. Since taking office, Banda has introduced a host of cost-cutting measures and uses commercial airlines to travel outside the country. The 14-passenger aircraft was auctioned off to a Virgin Islands company, Bohnox Enterprise Ltd. (*)