The Concerned Youth Organisation (CYO) in Mchinji District has called on the Ministry of Finance to review key policy issues that can help improve the future livelihoods of young people in the country.
CYO Project Officer Aubrey Chidziwitsano made the remarks as the Minister of Finance, Joseph Mwanamveka, on Monday held a dialogue with youths as part of consultations ahead of the upcoming national budget.
Speaking to Umunthu FM, Chidziwitsano said the meeting between the Minister of Finance and young people is very crucial as it gives youths an opportunity to participate in decision-making on national economic matters.
He urged young people to take advantage of the platform by presenting meaningful ideas that can be considered in the budget currently being prepared.
"As an organisation working with youths, we want the Ministry of Finance to address the challenge of youth unemployment, as many young people who have completed their education still remain jobless. We are calling on government to review existing strategies to create more employment opportunities so that unemployed youths can meaningfully contribute to the country’s Vision 2063," said Chidziwitsano.
He further said that as government prepares the national budget, it should also put in place deliberate policies that promote vocational and technical skills among youths who did not go far with formal education, in order to support national development and economic growth.
"The Minister of Finance should also consider putting in place measures to ensure that the introduction of free education does not negatively affect the quality of higher education in the country," explained Chidziwitsano.
Commenting on the issue, Community Initiative for Social Empowerment (CISE) Malawi Team Leader Davis Damson said that as the Minister of Finance engages with youths during budget preparations, he should also consider policies that support young people involved in small-scale businesses across the country.
Damson echoed sentiments from CYO’s Aubrey Chidziwitsano, calling on the ministry to further review better ways of supporting youths who dropped out of school, particularly through vocational skills training, despite education being free in the country.
