Malawi President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s austerity measures he announced recently have garnered widespread support both within Malawi and internationally. President Chakwera announced significant measures aimed at reducing costs to address economic challenges.
Among these measures, the travel ban on government officials, including the president himself, until March has received praise from across Africa. Various individuals from different African countries have commended President Chakwera for this decision, acknowledging its potential to save money for the benefit of Malawi’s economy.
Iameri Oluwa from Ghana said: “This is what good governance looks like. It’s an X-ray of policies that wear the human face in an inflationary economy. I hope countries like Ghana will find this inspirational.”
Another commentator who only identified himself as Yours Truly commented: “Brilliant. These trips are costing exchequer a lot under the current dollar exchange rates.”
In addition to the suspension of foreign trips, President Chakwera issued a directive to cut the monthly fuel allocation for Cabinet Ministers, Principal Secretaries, Directors, and heads of government departments by 50%. Furthermore, the Malawi leader has instructed the Minister of Finance to consider increasing salaries for civil servants during the mid-year review to alleviate the cost of living.
