Malawi Reforms Falter With Each Election, Afidep's Zulu Tells Economists Conference

By Wongani Chiuta

Economic reforms in Malawi are not surviving changes of government, according to Eliya Zulu, executive director of the African Institute for Development Policy (Afidep).

Speaking at the Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) 2026 Annual Economic Conference in Mangochi, Zulu said the failure to sustain reforms across successive administrations has weakened institutional continuity and undermined long-term development goals.

It was ironic, he said, that Malawi continues to struggle economically despite having sound development strategies and qualified public servants.

Zulu said Malawi needs to move away from policy decisions driven by short-term political interests and commit to implementing reforms beyond the five-year electoral cycle.

He cited frequent changes in policy direction and the replacement of senior and middle-level government officials as major obstacles to sustained implementation.

"I think we are also seeing a systemic inconsistency," he said. "Instead, we have interests, special interests dominating the way we are going along with our policies."

His concerns come against a background of successive governments pursuing economic reforms amid persistent macroeconomic challenges, raising questions about the effectiveness of policy implementation and the country's ability to turn reform commitments into tangible results.

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation's Principal Secretary for Economic Planning and Development, Patrick Kabambe, also acknowledged institutional weaknesses that continue to constrain implementation.

Read the original article on Nyasa Times.

Copyright © 2026 Nyasa Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.