Kabambe proposes expenditure cuts
UTM Party president Dalitso Kabambe has asked the Malawi Government to implement necessary budget cuts to State Residences, the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and trim the Cabinet to free up funds and spur recovery.
The former Reserve Bank of Malawi governor also said the number of principal secretaries (PSs) needed to be reduced.

Briefing the media in Lilongwe on Monday, Kabambe highlighted issues currently affecting the country, including hunger, the fuel crisis, foreign exchange shortages and high unemployment.
He said that with the right decisions and sound fiscal policies, the country could overcome its economic hardships within three to nine months.
Kabambe observed that there are too many workers at the State House and in embassies, and that the number of ministers and PSs does not align with the country’s economic capacity.
He said: “If elected, UTM will implement a macro fiscal framework to address all economic challenges facing Malawians. We aim to ensure a stable and appreciated kwacha, with more than six months of import cover, and improved value against other currencies.”
Kabambe also faulted the government’s decision to continually devalue the kwacha, saying it is immoral and pledged that a UTM administration would maintain the value of the kwacha for more than five years.
He attributed the ongoing social and economic meltdown to nepotism, corruption and flawed monetary and fiscal policies.
Kabambe also condemned the current administration’s fiscal and monetary policies, arguing that they have turned the government into a beggar and exacerbated the foreign exchange crisis.
On hunger, he explained that through interactions with some chiefs, the current hunger crisis has been compared to the severe famine experienced in 1949.
Said Kabambe: “Fertiliser prices have gone up and the Affordable Inputs Programme has failed again.”
Commenting on the issues raised, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira said the pronouncements sound good but are easier said than done by politicians who promise everything to Malawians but do very little in the end.