CDEDI trashes IMF rating of Malawi economic reforms

Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has expressed disappointment with recent remarks by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Kristalina Georgieva who expressed satisfaction with President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s commitment to forge ahead with ambitious reforms to improve Malawians’ lives.

Georgieva and Chakwera had a meeting at the IMF Headquarters in the United States of America (USA) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Summit where hailed the Malawi leader for working towards restoring macroeconomic stability, including tackling unsustainable public debt.

The IMF boss said it was “a very thoughtful and productive discussion” on the difficult economic situation facing Malawi.

In a statement released after the meeting, Georgieva says the IMF staff is working steadfastly to have the IMF team visit Malawi soon to discuss next steps and explore options to address the country’s immediate financing needs and support its reform programme.

“We agreed that tackling the country’s economic challenges effectively calls for a concerted effort by all stakeholders, including the support of the international community,” the statement reads.

The IMF boss has further indicated that the two agreed that tackling the country’s economic challenges effectively calls for concerted effort.

Writing on his social media page, Chakwera said the meeting was “a cordial meeting centred on our obligations and IMF’s commitments to the pursuit of an Extended Credit Facility for Malawi”.

“I also held discussions with Axel van Trotsenburg, Managing Director of the World Bank Group. We discussed the targets Malawi is aiming to reach to fast track the disbursement of $1.5 billion that has been approved by the bank for projects in our country,” Chakwera said.

But in reaction to the statement, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said he was disturbed with the IMF rating of the Malawi economic reforms when local economic think tanks rate the economy poorly.

“As a man of God, CDEDI refuses to accept that you have turned to governing the country through manipulation and outright cheap propaganda that paints a rosy picture of the country in the eyes of the international community, when in actual sense the situation is dire on the ground. We would like to challenge you to run a transparent and accountable government with less talk and more action whose fruits should be there for everyone to see! It is for this reason that we belabour ourselves to remind you Sir, that the following access baggage is denting your wish to cut a clean sheet in the eyes of the international community in as far as issues of good governance, rule of law, the fight against corruption and public reforms is concerned,” reads a statement Namiwa shared on Sunday.

“Back home, allow us Your Excellency Sir, to bring to your attention three separate events and incidences that auger very well with the whole reason why the people of Malawi decided to write you Sir, through CDEDI: On Saturday October 1, 2022, Malawians were reminded of avoidable stamped that led to injuries of several job seeking young people a few days before the court sanctioned June 23, 2020 Fresh Presidential Elections (FPE) in the four major referral hospitals of Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba when the Ministry of Health during the previous regime announced walk-ininterviews. Such bitter memories resurfaced as yet again thousands of young energetic but unemployed Malawians stormed the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) to learn value addition skills from a private citizen in an effort to escape the dehumanizing poverty that is worsening each and every passing day,” he adds.

Namiwa reminds Chakwera that Malawians voted for him based on the promises that he made prior to the June 23, 2020, polls.

He said Malawians wanted change and that Chakwera’s utterances, then as leader of opposition, resembled the leadership and the actual change Malawians needed most.

Namiwa challenged Chakwera to stop blaming everything on the DPP government and instead work to fix the economy.

“You are sitting on the Public Reforms Report that was done to review the public sector performance. You used the very same much needed forex for your trip to the USA, which could have stirred the dying private sector to produce and contribute revenue in the form of taxes.

“You travelled to the US with the Minister of Natural resources, Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka, MP who according to the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) is under probe and no one knows why you are still keeping him in your cabinet, when you fired the former ministers of lands Kenzie Msukwa, Labour, Ken Kandondo and Energy Newton Kambala the moment the bureau confirmed the trio were being investigated. You have paid a blind eye to revelations that senior government officials and a cabinet member namely the Minister of Mines Albert Mbawala, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Dr. Steve Kayuni, the Accountant General Jean Mnyenyembe, and the IFIMS Director Felix Zagwazatha Sato are reportedly implicated in unjustifiable allowance claims,” argues Namiwa.

He claimed that Malawians are also failing to understand why it has taken the Ombudsman to implement your Chakwera’s directive to fire the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hellen Buluma, after two Secretaries to the President and Cabinet (SPCs) namely Zangazanga Chikhosi and Colleen Zamba failed to implement your own directive made publicly to fire her.

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