Mejn challenges lawmakers
The Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) has challenged parliamentarians to devise ways of growing the economy so that the per capita income of Malawians can improve.
Mejn Board Chairperson Bishop Martin Mtumbuka said this in Lilongwe on Tuesday, when Mejn presented its analysis of the 2021/22 National Budget, which Finance Minister Felix Mlusu presented last month.
He was reacting to concerns which Parliamentary Social Welfare Committee Chairperson Savel Kafwafwa and Budget and Finance Committee Chairperson Gladys Ganda raised. The chairpersons wanted to know why civil society organisations normally point at areas that need more resources without hinting at where the government could get the money.
However, Mtumbuka said the solution to Malawi’s weak revenue collection, which has often resulted in heavy borrowing to address yawning budget deficits, lies in improving the per capita income of citizens who could, in turn, contribute more to the public purse.
“If we want more money, we must generate it. We can’t generate it with poor people. We must improve the economy so that the per capita income of Malawians also improves,” he said.
