Malawi - Protection of Basic Services Programme

The Malawi Protection of Basic Services (PBS) program is a single tranche Sector Budget Support PBO with a cost estimate of UA 19.00 million. This is a Sector Budget Support (SBS) programme designed in response to Government of Malawi (GoM) request received in November 2014 to protect critical expenditures in social sector (health, education and social protection) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014/15 following the withdrawal of Development Partner budget support from FY2013/14. It will be the first Sector Budget Support to be provided to the GoM by the Bank. It was jointly designed with the Government in consultations with Development Partners (DPs), IMF and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The resources provided by the Bank will contribute to the sustenance of the provision of basic social services in the education and health subsectors in particular. Through PBS, the government will be able to sustain spending in the social sector and ensure continued delivery of basic services especially to the poor and vulnerable and also in rural/hard to reach areas in the current tighten fiscal context. Therefore, the programme outcomes include: (i) improved health and education; and (ii) increased ability to cope with external shocks by the poor.