At Capital Hill sits shelves and shelves of audit reports spanning decades.
Each one of them has been exposing the weaknesses in public financial system through which the country bleeds public resources.
Each one of them has been making recommendations on how the issues could be fixed.
And after decades of government promising reforms of the public financial system to counter wastage of taxpayers’ money, billions of kwachas keep slipping through the cracks of financial mismanagement, weak oversight and widespread non-compliance.
These findings are contained on a recent audit report the 2023- 2024 financial year, which has uncovered a layer of systemic failures across government departments.
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The report shows that government revenue rose from K3.250 trillion in 2022-2023 to K4.211 trillion in 2023-2024.
However, these gains apparently are not translating into improved public services as wastage seems to continue unabated.
The audit reveals several cases where public funds were either mishandled or could not be traced.
These include K57.3 million not remitted by the judiciary and K1.189 billion in collections at the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services.
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In another instance, the Ministry of Agriculture overstated revenue by K5.295 billion, raising questions about data credibility.
Among the findings, over K201 million was spent but there was no supporting documentation such as invoices or contracts, raising fears of abused resources.
The audit further exposes overspending amounting to K3.016 billion and misallocated funds totaling K1.649 billion.
Additional irregularities include unsettled compensation claims worth K51 billion.
Procurement violations also featured prominently.
Malawi Electoral Commission awarded a K511.4 million contract for laptops without following mandatory publication procedures.
Several other entities bypassed approval requirements for ICT procurements, practices that often open the door to corruption and inflated contracts.
Project impementation was another weak link. Infrastructure projects worth K28.7 billion under the education remained incomplete years after deadlines.
Despite these challenges, the audit notes some progress in financial reporting from some departments.
The report recommends stricter enforcement of financial laws, strengthening audit committees, improving capacity among accounting personnel, and taking disciplinary action against those responsible for misconduct.
Treasury spokesperson Williams Banda said the report is now in the hands of Parliament for its action.
Possibly, Parliament will make the same recommendations.
And the cycle restarts.
For economist Bertha Chikadza Bangara, while audits have repeatedly exposed irregularities in the government financial system, enforcement, political will and institutional capacity remain too weak to deliver impact.
“The cycle continues because accountability is limited, debt pressures are high, and governance structures are undermined by poor compliance and political shielding,” she said.
According to Chikadza, Malawi has a weak enforcement of laws and officials often ignore legal requirements without facing consequences.
“Culprits are frequently shielded by political connections, which erodes accountability and public trust,” said the Ecama [Economics Association of Malawi] president.
To break this cycle, Malawi needs strict enforcement of audit recommendations with penalties for non-compliance.
She also recommends that automation of financial systems should be mandatory and not an option.
“Third, we need independent oversight that shields auditors from political interference and those found on the wrong side should be facing severe consequences to deter a repeat of such things,” she said.
