Expenditures choking Malawi’s budget—VP

Vice-President Saulos Chilima arrived in New York, United States of America on Saturday to attend the 2022 United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council Forum for Financing Development.

In a Twitter post announcing his arrival in New York, the Veep said expenditures continue to choke the country’s budget; hence, there is need to find solutions.

Chilima said the high level meeting which starts today and closes on April 28, will discuss, among other issues, financing for development outcomes and the means to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Veep said the meeting will further look at how to improve the fiscal space of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and, in the case of Malawi, the fiscal spaces which are tight because of statutory obligations.

Said Chilima: “There are expenditures that choke our budget and we need to decisively deal with such issues that include our debt situation and our earnings.

“We will also pick up on some of the engagements that the President had, including a few bilateral engagements. We will also have a meeting with the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and others to continue to boost our international relations..”

Malawi’s Ambassador to the UN Agness Chimbiri and Office of the Vice-President Principal Secretary Lucky Sikwese led Malawians based in New York in welcoming the Veep.

Sikwese said the summit is critical for Malawi’s development considering its probability to resolve some of Malawi’s bottlenecks on issues of financing for national ambitions.

He said: “Firstly, Malawi’s participation at the Summit is important for all the LDCs, a group which it chairs, but also Malawi is in this month chairing the Africa Group at UN, so in this regard, it is representing LDCs and Africa’s goals.” The summit, held under the theme ‘Financing for Sustainable Development Goals’, has brought together delegates from 193 UN member States.