The President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, has banned all foreign trips by government officials, including himself, citing the country’s economic crisis.
The president announced this in a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday night, saying the move was part of what he called tough measures to heal the Southern African nation’s economy.
He also directed all ministers who are currently outside the country to return home and said the suspension will be in place until March next year.
“Any travel deemed absolutely necessary by anyone during that period must be submitted to my office for my personal authorisation,” Chakwera said.
Amid backlash received over his frequent foreign travel, the President said he would lead by example by curtailing his travel plans, including cancelling his attendance at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai later this month.
He also directed that fuel allocation for ministers, principal secretaries, directors, and all senior officers who are entitled, should be cut by half, adding that the practice of spending taxpayers’ money on useless activities in the form of allowances should be put to an end.
The Malawi leader said all the spending cuts will be channeled towards the procurement of food and fertilizer to ensure the country has enough food.
He has also directed the minister of finance to include in the upcoming mid-year budget review provisions for cushioning small to medium enterprises to protect the jobs they create, provisions for a reasonable wage increase for civil servants and review Pay as You Earn tax to remove the tax burden on civil servants.
Similarly, he ordered ministers of finance and trade to work with the Competition and Fair-Trading Commission to investigate price increases and hold into account all those involved in raising prices in violation of the law.
Chakwera also announced that he has ordered the secretary to the President and Cabinet to ensure the recent hike in the price of water is absorbed by the operating costs of those boards for now and not placed on Malawians.
Malawi is battling an economic crisis that has led to fuel shortages, inflated food prices, and a shortage of foreign exchange. Last week, the country’s central bank announced that it was devaluing the local currency against the United States dollar by nearly 30 percent.
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