Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Simplex Chithyola Banda has assured stakeholders that this year’s national budget will be pro-Malawians and will resonate with people’s aspirations.
Speaking during the first Ministerial pre-budget consultation meeting at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, Chithyola said the ministry is happy that some of the prepositions which stakeholders have started highlighting are within the ministry’s plans.
He thanked me for constructive comments and input into the next budget for the transformation of the country.
“The position Malawi is currently in requires innovations to come up with a budget that can facilitate the quickest way of developing Malawi”, he said.
He further concurred with stakeholders on the need to diversify economic activities by exploring more areas untraditionally, such as putting more efforts into Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM).
The minister also emphasized the plan towards allocating 30% on production and commended stakeholders for appreciating and looking forward to more resource allocation on production.
During the meeting, stakeholders noted failures in the current budget and made recommendations to be considered in the 2025/26 budget for economic transformation.
Some of the recommendations made include the abolition of the affordable inputs programme, allocating money to mega-farms and investing in rail to completely address the fuel shortage in the country.
Civil Society Organisations also pledged to join the government to lobby for debt cancellation this year for economic stability.
Executive Director for Malawi Health Equity Network (MEHEN) George Jobe requested for increase in the health budget by 15% and more resources to be channelled to primary health care.
Some of the stakeholders present during the meeting were Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), the Economic Association of Malawi ( ECAMA), Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN), EDUCANTS, Civil Society for Climate Change and Malawi Health Equity Network.
Similar budget consultation meetings are expected to take place in Mzuzu and Blantyre.
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