07/17/2012 11:20 GMT

BLANTYRE, July 17, 2012 (AFP) - Britain will give its poor former colony Malawi additional aid of 24 million pounds for its economic recovery programme, the visiting British minister for Africa said Tuesday.

The latest aid package, which comes on top of 30 million pounds (38 million euros, $47 million) announced in April, will help the southern African nation's health services and support a popular farm subsidy programme, Henry Bellingham told reporters.

He said that Britain wants Malawi, which gets 40 percent of its budget cash from donors, to "migrate from aid dependency to trade".

"Currently, our two-way trade is worth 58.5 million pounds per annum, and the balance of trade is in Malawi's favour. My ambition is to see that figure doubled, with Malawi gaining more through trade than aid," he said.

He said he wants to see British firms invest in the former colony, "training people and transeferring skills, expertise and technology".

The aid is the latest step toward strengthening ties with Malawi's new President Joyce Banda, after a diplomatic spat with her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika.

International worries about Mutharika's governance led most donors, including Britain, to cut off aid.

Since taking office, Banda has restored relations with donors and set about making economic reforms.

fm/gs/nb

© 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse