MANEB needs US$1.5 million to settle exam printing costs

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) requires approximately US$1.5 million to settle the balance for printing three national examinations administered in 2024.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Committee on Education on Wednesday, MANEB Executive Director, Prof. Dorothy Nampota, disclosed that the total cost for the printing service was US$2.7 million, but the board has only managed to pay part of it.

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This situation forced MANEB to reopen its registration portal to accommodate affected candidates.

Despite successfully administering leakage-free examinations, the board faced several operational challenges, including late registration by schools, errors in entries, and delays in examination fee payments by parents.

Professor Nampota highlighted under-funding as a major issue, revealing that MANEB is also struggling to meet its salary obligations.

“We are now looking for K600 million to pay the board’s employees for the remaining three months of the 2024/2025 financial year,” she stated.

The board is now seeking urgent financial intervention to ensure smooth operations and future examination administration.