Update: Following earlier trader protests over the tax system, the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) has condemned business associations over a planned nationwide shutdown scheduled from May 4 to May 6. According to Nyasa Times, the strike was organised by the Cross Border Traders Association and the Business Association of Malawi to protest the new Electronic Invoicing System and foreign exchange shortages. The HRCC accused the traders of deceit, stating that they had previously supported the invoicing system during mediated talks with the Malawi Revenue Authority and the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
Economic pressures have also prompted new calls for wage adjustments. During Labour Day commemorations on May 1, the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions demanded a 100 percent increase in the national minimum wage to help workers offset the rising cost of living, according to journalist Winston Mwale. At the same event, Minister of Labour Joel Chigona announced upcoming labour law reforms, including a new safety and health policy aimed at protecting workers in both the formal and informal economies.
The macroeconomic situation is heavily impacting independent journalism in the country. On World Press Freedom Day, the Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi chapter cautioned that market failures, foreign exchange shortages, and declining donor support are suffocating the local media sector, according to Investigative Malawi. The publication reported that while the kwacha is officially fixed around 1,750 to the US dollar, parallel market exchange premiums reached 150 percent above the official rate by March, severely increasing operational costs for publishers.