Malawi's Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs has put his foot down, demanding that heads of the country's key legal and governance bodies sign up to sweeping public sector reforms -- or explain why not.

Charles Mhango oversaw the signing ceremony at the Ministry's headquarters at Capital Hill in Lilongwe today, as officials from institutions including the Malawi Human Rights Commission, the Malawi Law Commission and the Financial Intelligence Authority put pen to paper on new reform contracts.

The Minister praised those who had already signed up, but had a pointed message for any stragglers still dragging their feet.

"Signing of the contracts demonstrates the institutions' commitment to delivering quality services to Malawians and meeting citizens' expectations through measurable results," he told the gathering.

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Mhango revealed he had already signed his own reform contract directly with President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika -- leading by example, he said, as pressure mounts on public institutions to deliver.

Cash-strapped Ministry vows to fight for funding despite fiscal crunch

But the Minister didn't shy away from the elephant in the room -- Malawi's brutal financial squeeze -- admitting that resources remain tight across government.

Despite this, he vowed to go into battle with the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the institutions under his watch.

"Let me assure you, even though we are operating in an extremely difficult fiscal environment, I will lobby for support from the Ministry of Finance in terms of budgeting and fund allocation," Mhango pledged.

He closed with a rallying call to officials across the Ministry and its affiliated bodies, urging them to pull together in support of the President's push to overhaul public service delivery -- and to help drive forward the ambitious Malawi 2063 development agenda.