Will the proposed budget give solutions?

All eyes are in Lilongwe where finance minister Simplex Chithyola is from 2pm expected to present the proposed 2024/25 national budget.

Malawians are eagerly waiting as to whether the financial blueprint will be a solution to the current socioeconomic challenges.

The proposed budget presentation comes amid growing concerns from Malawians over high cost of living, high levels of unemployment, excess hunger and current dry spell which brings threat of hunger next season among others.

It also comes as Malawians are accusing the current administration of failing to implement what it promises in and outside parliament, with corruption and mismanagement of funds being among factors retarding development.

In the 2023/24 national budget, the then finance minister Sosten Gwengwe presented a 3.87 trillion-kwacha budget, which was 35.7 percent higher than the previous financial year’s budget.

During this afternoon’s presentation, Chithyola Banda will start with a statement of the estimated receipts in form of tax revenue, grants and all other revenue as well as details of government’s proposed expenditure in regard to the available resources as per Section 33 (3) of the Public Finance Management Act (2022).