President Lazarus Chakwera says his administration will continue with the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) despite mounting pressure for government to drop the programme.

A lot of critics have faulted the programme which in the 2021/2022 national budget has been allocated K142 billion saying government is spending too much.

But in his responses during Monday’s State House weekly brief at Kamuzu Palace, Director of Communications Sean Kampondeni maintained that the programme, which is Tonse alliance’s flagship programme, will continue saying it intends to help poor households.

“It is incorrect to present expenditure of money for the welfare of people as a waste of money, the Malawian people pay taxes and they expect that tax to be translated into public service,” said Kampondeni.

“AIP is a public service, the Malawian fully expect that there cannot be a public service that doesn’t require spending money, so to speak of huge chunks, I don’t know what a huge chunk is.”

Kampondeni added that Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe will soon be addressing the nation on how such spending concerns will be tackled.

He said: “I do not want to prejudice what the President already promised that his ministers are going to issue a statement on these issues, that statement is the right platform for raising these concerns.

“As to the sustainability of it, those issues will be addressed shortly by the responsible ministers as earlier alluded to by the President.”