Malawi set to host IMF chief Christine Largade
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Largade is set to visit Malawi in what has been billed as the first trip ever by an IMF top brass to Malawi.
According to the Business Times, several IMF officials who were attending the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Tokyo, Japan confirmed that Largade has decided to visit Malawi as part of her efforts to support President Mrs. Joyce Banda who has embarked on serious economic recovery plan for the country.
“Of course she has a soft spot for women heads of state and she has become passionate about Malawi since the coming of president Banda. So the visit is partly meant to offer mutual support to her fellow woman leader,” an IMF official was quoted by the paper as saying.
Meanwhile, according to the paper, Largade apparently mentioned Malawi in her official address to the delegates.
On his part, IMF African Development Director Antoinette Sayeh also mentioned in passing at a meeting she held with African journalists that were covering the meeting, about Largade’s planned trip to Malawi in January next year.
“I will come to Malawi in January when our Managing Director visits the country,” said Sayeh.
Largade, a French national and lawyer by profession served the previous Nicholas Sarkozy government as Finance Minister before she took over the IMF job following the fall from grace of another renowned French economist Dominique Strauss Khan last year.
Meanwhile, the paper has also established that the IMF would hold a Multi-Stakeholders conference in Lilongwe from November 2 to 3 as part of the review mission of the Malawi’s Extended Credit Facility programme which is expected to be opened by president Banda.
Since president Banda took over office, Malawi has been flooded with visits by reputable world figures namely; US state Secretary Hillary Clinton, former UK premier Tony Blair, Nigerian ruler Goodluck Jonathan and South African icon Nelson Mandela’s wife Graca Machel.
