The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha, has pledged to support young people through the National Youth Innovation Fund, aimed at empowering youths to achieve self-sustainability.
Mwanamvekha made the remarks on Monday at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe during the Ministerial Youth Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting, which attracted various stakeholders, including the Minister of Labour, Joel Chigona.
He said the views presented by young people would be reviewed and incorporated into the budget formulation process to ensure that their needs are adequately catered for in the upcoming national budget.
Mwanamvekha acknowledged that limited investment to unlock opportunities for young people remains a challenge but expressed commitment that the ministry has put in place measures to boost foreign exchange reserves by investing in productivity and mobilizing more resources.
“There is goodwill from our partners as they can see economic fundamentals stabilizing through sound budget management. The economy is stable, and we are managing it well despite the national debt. I can assure you that we are having productive consultations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” said Mwanamvekha.
On her part, Chairperson for the National Youth Network of Malawi, Salome Kadazi, said the engagement was crucial, citing how young people presented their ideas and she added that youths proposed that government should create employment opportunities, improve infrastructure for e-learning, and increase funding for green businesses.
“We are looking forward to the views presented by youths being considered, as the minister has assured us,” said Kadazi.
Meanwhile, Executive Director for the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), Rex Chapota, expressed excitement over the youth engagement and commended the Minister of Finance’s commitment to increase budget allocations across sectors, including those targeting young people.
He added that government budget allocations are not sufficient to address all youth needs, but NYCOM is working to involve the private sector to partner with young people on entrepreneurship initiatives.
The pre-budget consultation meetings were held in Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Mzuzu ahead of the 2026/2027 National Budget to gather views from various stakeholders, including the youth.
