Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the country received K734 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year, an increase from K589 billion in the previous year.
NGO Regulatory Authority (Ngora) chief executive Edward Chileka Banda revealed this yesterday when he presented the 2024 NGO Sector Report during the NGO Day which President Lazarus Chakwera presided over at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
He said the revenue is based on figures from NGOs which submitted their reports to the authority.
Said Chileka Banda: “The significant portion of this revenue has been reported in the health sector with K219 billion, education sector with K50 billion and disaster risk management with K45 billion.”
According to the 2024 NGO Sector Report, 148 NGOs have been registered this year compared to 78 last year, 498 organisations submitted reports compared to 432 last year while 604 NGOs have complied with laws by renewing their operating licences in 2024.
The NGO Act requires all NGOs to register with Ngora and to submit their annual reports six months after the end of their financial year.
In his speech, President Chakwera hailed the progress in areas of compliance to regulatory requirements and accountability by NGOs operating in the country.
He added that his government is committed to the localisation agenda based on the belief that sustainable development should be driven by local actors which understand the unique challenges and opportunities of their communities.
Said Chakwera: “By building local capacity, we empower Malawians to take charge of their own development for resilience and long-term success. Malawi 2063 cannot be achieved without strong local organisations that are capable of advocating for communities and leading initiatives.”
As part of the localisation strategy, government has provided K1 billion to Ngora to build capacity of local NGOs and selected organisations are expected to start accessing the funds in November this year.
According to Chakwera, the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Ngora and the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare have been engaging NGOs to assess how they utilise forex.
Findings from the assessment are expected to inform the development of forex regulations.
During the event, there were solidarity statements from representatives of local NGOs and the international NGO Forum which is a group of 90 international NGOs that meet on a monthly basis.
International NGO Forum representative Kate Hartley-Lewis called on all organisations to be accountable to the people they serve.
She said: “The NGO sector needs to ensure that we are able to evidence the impact of the money received. We also ask the government to support emphasis on addressing allowance culture that deviates money from development gains.”
During the NGO Day, local and international organisations also showcased their activities through pavilions mounted at the Sanjika Palace ground.
The NGO Day was celebrated under the theme Strengthening Partnerships and Capacity in the NGO sector: Panacea for Achieving MW 2063.
