MALAWI: Government Launches Fiscal Decentralisation Strategy to Strengthen Financial Management in Councils

By Smile Hamilton

The Malawi Government has launched the Local Authorities Financing and Fiscal Decentralisation Strategy, describing it as a key roadmap for strengthening public financial management and improving service delivery at the local government level.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri unveiled the strategy in Blantyre, saying it will provide guidance on how local authorities should manage public resources responsibly while promoting transparency and accountability.

Phiri urged councils across the country to improve their performance, deliver quality public services, and ensure prudent use of financial resources for the benefit of Malawians.

“We expect councils to enhance their performance and use available resources prudently to achieve meaningful development and improve the well-being of our people,” said Phiri.

Speaking at the event, World Bank Senior Public Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader for the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project, Eva Melis, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting reforms that strengthen fiscal decentralisation and improve public financial management in local authorities.

The strategy was launched during a two-day symposium organised by the National Local Government Finance Committee with support from the World Bank-funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project. The symposium is being held under the theme: “Strengthening Financial Accountability and Innovation for Sustainable Local Authority Financial Performance and Servic

e Delivery.”