Civil society organisations operating under the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan met with the Parliamentary Committee on Health on Friday to lobby for increased domestic health financing, according to Amref Malawi. As Parliament reviews the proposed MK1.02 trillion national budget, advocates warned that the health sector's current allocation of 9.2 percent falls short of the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target. The groups stressed that sustained investments are necessary to protect recent gains in maternal and child health, urging lawmakers to consider alternative revenue options such as introducing sin taxes on sugar products.
In other political news, Vice President Jane Ansah urged the government to tighten oversight of industrial incentives during her address at the Lakeshore Business Leaders' Summit in Mangochi, Sele Media Malawi reports. Expanding on earlier pledges of regulatory consistency, Ansah stated that tax concessions must be directly tied to measurable national benefits, including job creation and skills transfer. She cautioned that weak monitoring of these incentives could erode public trust and investor confidence as the administration works to revive the industrial sector.
Update: Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has formally resumed its special public inquiry into the Amaryllis Hotel acquisition by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund. Building on earlier investigations into the deal, the committee is questioning key officials to address ongoing concerns regarding transparency, due diligence, and value for money, according to a notice from the Parliament of Malawi.