By Draxon Maloya
This year’s 2nd Pre-Budget Consultation meeting for the 2025/26 fiscal year, held in Mzuzu, brought together various stakeholders to discuss national priorities and proposals for the upcoming budget.
The meeting aimed to ensure that the budget addresses the needs of all Malawians including the marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda emphasized the importance of regional consultations to achieve economic growth and national prosperity.
The finance minister encouraged participants to provide solutions, having consulted other sectors of the economy, including business leaders.
Key Proposals and Recommendations;
- Abolition of the Affordable Input Program: The Livingstonia Church and Society recommended scrapping the program, citing its unsustainability, politicization, and corruption.
- Improving Road Networks and Allocating Resources: The reverend appealed to the government to enhance road networks and allocate more resources to Mega Farms and Mtukula Pakhomo initiatives.
- Wales Singini, Mzuzu University Vice chancellor called for a more Knowledge-Based Economy emphasising the importance of a national transformation and resource mobilization.
“Education is a human right, but the numbers of those who’ve passed through institutions of higher learning are still very low. Increase access and student support in already existing universities can be viable,” said Singini.
Commenting on the “Expansion of the Tax-Band” and Empowering Mining and Tourism, Kinear Mlowoka of Phunzilani Development Organisation appreciated the process, considering income generation and the introduction of tall gates to empower mining and tourism players.
“The engagement highlighted on a number of pertinent areas which in both, long and short terms can help towards achieving economic growth and development, we can’t allow people stealing mineral resources in the name of sample testing,” said Mlowoka.
The Mzuzu meeting drew attention from Civil Society leaders, NGOs, academia, Finance Ministry officials, and the press. By engaging various stakeholders, the government aims to create a more inclusive and sustainable budget that addresses the needs of its citizens.
