Private practice lawyer Patrick Mpaka says Malawi’s journey to prosperity will remain elusive unless the private sector boldly takes the lead in championing justice, accountability and governance.
Delivering his presentation at the 2025 Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) Annual Conference in Mangochi, he warned that Malawi 2063 (MW2063) vision of inclusive wealth creation will collapse without fiscal discipline, strong institutions and transparent systems.
Mpaka, who is immediate-past president of Malawi Law Society (MLS), said economic growth cannot thrive in the absence of justice, urging business leaders to actively shape the governance landscape through mechanisms such as the Malawi International Arbitration Centre (Miac).
“Once fully established and operational, the centre will be a private sector led law enforcement arm of the business community to alleviate pressure and challenges of the judiciary,” he said in a paper titled ‘On the role of the private sector in promoting good governance towards achieving Malawi 2063: Insights from the legal sector’.
Formally registered in September 2024 by MLS and Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Miac was launched in March 2025 and began operations in April.
In his presentation, economic statistician Alick Nyasulu said a thriving private sector was the cornerstone for achieving an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation espoused in MW2063.
Nyasulu urged the private sector to drive innovation, job creation, investment and competitiveness while government ensures stability, infrastructure and fair regulation.
He warned government against abrupt policy reversals, retroactive tax changes and failure to honour agreements.
The Ecama conference was held under the theme ‘Beyond the crises: Reshaping the economy’.
