In April 2005, the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a four-year, $110 million Compact with the Republic of Madagascar to raise incomes by assisting the rural population to transition from subsistence agriculture to a market economy. The strategic investments in three projects will help rural Malagasy secure formal property rights to land; access credit and protect savings; and receive training in agricultural production, management and marketing techniques. This integrated approach will provide the rural population with the necessary conditions to use the land productively, to build profitable businesses and help ensure environmental sustainability. On July 2008 the Compact was extended for an additional 5th year. The MCC Compact in Madagascar entered into force (EIF) in July 2005, formally initiating the 4-year (extended to 5) timeline for project implementation.

As of August 31, 2009, MCC terminated its Compact with Madagascar due to the military coup.  MCC is working with MCA Madagascar to ensure an orderly windup of the program. For the most up-to-date information on implementation progress, please read the Quarterly Implementation Status Report.

This project aims to identify investment opportunities for rural Malagasy in local, regional, or international markets, and train farmers and other entrepreneurs in production, management, and marketing techniques.

• Identify the project Zones and develop viable zonal investment strategies;
• Create and operate five Agricultural Business Centers (ABCs) in the five Zones to train rural farmers and entrepreneurs in new agricultural techniques and good business practices;
• Identify market opportunities and communicate these to investors, local farmers and entrepreneurs; and
• Establish a National Coordinating Center (NCC) to link the five ABCs with Malagasy government agencies.

The main objectives of the Finance Project are to improve a weak banking system, make essential financial services available to rural areas, advance credit skills, and cut delays and risks in payments for goods and services.

• Improve financial system efficiency by modernizing laws regulating financial instruments and payment systems;
• Build National Savings Bank branches in rural areas and modernizing operations;
• Equip and modernize the interbank payment system to reduce risk and reduce delays in settlement from 45 days to 3 days; and
• Assess and address constraints to providing access to credit for agribusiness.

The Land Tenure Project is designed to increase land titling and land security, and improve the efficiency of land service administration. These will contribute to better land use, increased rural enterprise investment, and a better environment for collateral-based lending.

• Develop and adopt new land legislation and support its implementation, including through a communications and education campaigns;
• Improve the ability of the National Land Service Administration to provide land services by inventorying and restoring land documents and by modernizing its operations;
• Decentralize land service provision by establishing new local land management offices and training local land management staff;
• Formalize property rights through land titles and land certificates; and
• Gather, analyze and disseminate information on land tenure reform implementation.