Malawi’s 2018 to 2019 budget is 1.5 trillion kwacha

The 2018 to 2019 national budget has increased as compared to the 2017 to 2018 national budget.

Presenting the budget in parliament Minister of Finance and economic planning Goodall Gondwe said this year’s budget is 1.5 trillion kwacha but the previous one was 1.1 trillion kwacha.

Gondwe said the highest allocation in the 2018 to 2019 national budget has gone to the education sector.

Gondwe said the second and third allocations are for the agriculture and health respectively.

He also said crop estimate production shows that maize production has declined by 19.4 percent.

Gondwe further said government has increased honorarium of chiefs and will recruit 17, 000 youth.

“10,500 primary school teachers, 500 secondary school teachers and 1000 health personnel will be recruited in the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year,” Gondwe said.

He added that beginning next year new graduates in teachers colleges will be recruited immediately after graduation.

Meanwhile, Malawi Chambers of Commerce and industry has said the 2018-2019 national budget is not realistic as it has not considered the business sector.

Speaking at parliament building in Lilongwe, the chambers executive director chancellor Kafelapanjira said the budget has failed to outline how government will source funds to support the budget.

“This will have an effect on Malawians as they will be made to pay huge tax to support the budget,” Kafelapanjira said.

He asked government to deal with the persistent blackouts saying this is one of the major challenges affecting the business sector.

He wondered why government has decided to increase chiefs salaries when there are a lot of sectors which require its immediate attention.