LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The National Advocacy Platform (NAP) says President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s first year in office has laid foundations for economic recovery, but Government must now accelerate delivery to translate progress into tangible improvements for Malawians.
According to NAP’s first-year assessment released on October 8, 2026 and signed by Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe and National Coordinator Baxton Nkhoma, the administration has made progress in several areas but significant economic, governance and public-service challenges remain unresolved.
NAP told the news conference on Thursday in the capital Lilongwe that the headline inflation fell from 28.2 percent in August 2025 to 20 percent in August 2026, while food inflation declined to 13.4 percent, describing the movement as a positive sign for economic stabilisation.
However, NAP says the reduction in inflation has not yet sufficiently improved household welfare, with non-food inflation still standing at 31.8 percent in August 2026.
On education, NAP has welcomed the expansion of free secondary education, including the removal of tuition, examination and identification fees and the School Development Fund in public secondary schools.
The organisation also commends the Government’s K42 billion allocation for higher education student loans but says increased access must be matched with better teaching quality, adequate classrooms, learning materials and stronger technical and vocational education.
In agriculture, NAP recognises the K931.1 billion allocation to the sector in the 2026/27 financial year including about K111 billion for the Farm Input Subsidy Programme, but calls for greater investment in irrigation, climate smart agriculture and drought resistant crops.
The organisation also welcomes increased Government attention to health, including the K1.02 trillion allocation for the sector and the recruitment waiver for medical personnel, while warning that shortages of medicines, equipment and health workers continue to affect service delivery.
On fuel, energy and infrastructure, NAP says fuel supplies were stable for much of the first year and welcomes road rehabilitation projects, but warns that the re-emergence of fuel queues shows that supply stability remains fragile.
NAP further welcomes the increase of the Constituency Development Fund to K5 billion per constituency, but says slow disbursement and implementation remain concerns, calling for stronger local council capacity, transparent procurement and effective monitoring.
On governance and corruption, NAP commends constitutional and institutional developments and measures such as the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System, but calls for stronger accountability, an adequately resourced Anti-Corruption Bureau and faster progress in corruption investigations and prosecutions.
NAP says Government has also made progress towards fiscal consolidation, including reduced domestic borrowing and advancement of discussions with the International Monetary Fund towards a possible Extended Credit Facility-supported programme.
However, the organisation says Malawi’s debt burden, foreign exchange shortages, unreliable electricity, high living costs and weaknesses in public-service delivery remain serious challenges.
NAP concludes that Mutharika’s first year provides “reasonable grounds for cautious confidence,” but says the second year must be defined by implementation, accountability and independently verifiable results that turn economic stability into jobs, better public services and improved living standards for Malawians.
Leave a Reply