YAS wants a budget that targets and empowers youths
Renowned human rights and governance watchdog, Youth and Society (YAS), has recommended that the incoming 2024/2025 national budget should be a relief to the youth by increasing access to higher education loans and financing, tackling the high cost of living, supporting youths through National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) and imposing a tax break on ICT equipment, among other things.
YAS has also recommend that the budget should focus on managing the debt crisis, combating endemic corruption, completing strategic infrastructure investment and restructuring the National Youth Council of Malawi.
This is contained in a 2024/2025 youth sector budget brief, which YAS has submitted to the Minister of Finance, who is expected to present the national budget in Parliament on Friday, 23rd February.
According to the brief, signed by YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka, the recommendations are “a product of research and consultations” including pre-budget consultations with a diverse constituency of young people held on 23 January, 2024 in Lilongwe.
The brief reads in part: “As Malawi navigates through socio-economic complexities, the voice of its youth becomes increasingly pivotal in shaping policy discourse and national development agenda. YAS and its partners, therefore, underscore core policy issues directly affecting young Malawians.
“From higher education financing to digital inclusion, social protection, economic empowerment and governance, our submission encapsulates the aspirations and concerns of the youth demographic”.
YAS adds that the recommendations it has put forward are not only pragmatic but also resonate deeply with the interests and welfare of Malawi’s youth.
The organization further observes that, by addressing what it has recommended, the budget charts a path towards inclusive and sustainable development.
“It becomes evident that empowering the youth is not merely a moral imperative but also an economic necessity for Malawi’s progress.
“By heeding the voices of its young citizens and prioritizing their needs in the national budget, Malawi can harness the demographic dividend and pave the way for a brighter and more prosperous future for all”.
Another recommendation, according to the brief, is making the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation commercially viable, through, among others, establishing partnerships with the private sector “to leverage expertise and resources in enhancing its operational efficiency and commercial viability”.
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