MEJN fears the 2024-2025 won’t lift the poor from poverty

A budget analysis by the Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) has indicated that poor Malawians will continue wallowing in abject poverty as the 2024-2025 National Budget does not specify measures for lifting them from their economic doldrums.

Presenting the findings to the Parliamentary Committees on Budget and Finance, and Social Welfare and Community Affairs last week, MEJN board member Andrew Kumbatira observed that the proposed budget does not indicate how it will increase social protection programs to alleviate poverty among the poor – who are in majority.

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Kumbatira said poor people continue struggling to access basic necessities in the agriculture, education and health and extractive sectors.

Budget and Finance Committee chairperson Gladys Ganda concurred with MEJN, stressing that the majority poor remain at the receiving end of the social and economic hardships the country is going through.

Ganda indicated that over 70 percent of the Malawi population is poor. She said social cash transfers are therefore key to rescue the poor.

MEJN with the support from the NCA and DCA did the research across the country as the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs presented the budget in the august House two weeks ago.