By Vincent Gunde
Leader of Opposition in Parliament Dr. George Chaponda, has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) commitment to engage in possible Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in September, 2025 under the leadership of Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.
Chaponda says the DPP will emphasize the need for fiscal discipline which is lacking in President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s administration saying the country and its citizens are regretting for the cancellation of the ECF program which Malawians believe could have been instrumental in stabilizing the country’s ailing economy.
He says he had a productive meeting with the IMF delegation led by its Auditor Justin Tyson for Article 1V Consultations and was accompanied by Chimwemwe Chipungu and Gladys Ganda who are both Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the DPP National Governing Council (NGC).
“As the opposition and government in waiting, we have assured the IMF of DPPs commitment to engage for possible coming back after the 16th September, 2025 elections,” says Chaponda.
Speaking recently former President Madam Dr. Joyce Banda told Malawians that fake and ghost workers are being left scot-free in the MCP led government, the party in government is shielding them from being arrested and prosecuted I a court of law.
Dr. Joyce Banda said the IMF has given Malawi conditions to arrest the thieves and they will give money to Malawi and without that happening, the IMF won’t do anything for Malawi saying the IMF has done this with memories of the 2020 where the MCP reported to the IMF of the DPPs cooking up figures that the country’s economy was in the right path.
She said the IMF took almost 2 years for them to come back in 2023 saying today, they cannot give the country money until the government change in September, 2025 observing that the Government of Malawi was paying salaries to ghost workers in Government.
“IMF officials take years to come back to the resumption of aid, they did that in 2023 and this time, they have done the same in 2025,” said Dr. Joyce Banda.
In 2006 the international money lending institutions cancelled the country’s debts to start fresh, from 2006 to June, 2020 the country’s debts were t K3.16 trillion US Dollars and the MCP in just 5 years in office has borrowed over K12 trillion making the country’s debts to reach K16.1 trillion.
There are projections that if this government reaches September, 2025 with the free for all money it is distributing to various groups invited to the State House where each individual apart from dining with President Chakwera, walk out of the Palace in jovial moods, K50,000 in their pockets by the 16th September, 2025 elections, the national debts will be at 23.1 trillion.
