Government has announced comprehensive reform plans to overhaul Malawi’s sugar industry, aiming to address persistent shortages, stabilize prices, and promote local participation in distribution.
As sugar scarcity continues to affect the country, several renowned social commentators have criticized Minister of Trade, Vitumbiko Mumba, for what they describe as "irresponsible" remarks regarding the issue.
As concerns grow over Malawi’s stalled Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), civil society organizations (CSOs) and economic experts are offering divergent views on what went wrong — and what should happen next.
Economist and senior DPP official Dr. Paul Gadama has raised concerns over Malawi’s deepening economic crisis, citing persistent inflation, fuel shortages, and foreign exchange instability. He criticizes the government’s inadequate response, particularly its reliance on monetary policy without addressing structural weaknesses. Gadama calls for a holistic approach that includes targeted agricultural investment, energy reforms, and forex management to prevent further economic decline and social unrest.
World Bank-funded Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Scaling (FinES) Project has disbursed MK32 billion to 33, 000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) since the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) rolled out the project mid 2021.
Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has awarded quality certificates to 59 companies and institutions in the Central Region for demonstrating consistent compliance of various standards of products.
National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) has incurred a K13.6 billion loss while non-performing loans have also been increasing, the 2023 Annual Economic Report from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs reveals.
The Embassy of Ireland in Malawi has emphasized the need for Malawi to pursue effective social protection systems, saying these are an imperative component of successful and sustainable economies across the world.
In an effort to deepen knowledge and understanding of the Public Finance Management issues, Oxfam Malawi on Wednesday organized a one-day training for journalists to enable them to acquire knowledge and skills for reporting on budget, public finance management and public expenditure.