Malawi's Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha has moved to reassure the nation that plans by the British government to slash financial support to the country by a staggering 90 per cent will not derail the 2026/27 national budget — insisting the dramatic cut had already been factored in before the budget was drawn up. The [...]
Thom Chiumia
Nyasa Times Reporter
5d ago · 2 min read
Malawi's Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha has moved to reassure the nation that plans by the British government to slash financial support to the country by a staggering 90 per cent will not derail the 2026/27 national budget — insisting the dramatic cut had already been factored in before the budget was drawn up.
The Minister was responding to sharp questioning in Parliament from Francis Belekanyama, MP for Lilongwe Msinja South, who demanded to know exactly how the reduced aid — set to plummet from K117.9 billion to just K11.7 billion by 2028 — would impact budget implementation across the country.
Despite the scale of the cut, which represents one of the most dramatic reductions in UK support to Malawi in recent memory, Mwanamvekha struck a defiant tone, insisting government had already braced itself for the blow well in advance.
NGOs to bear the brunt as Britain pulls back funding
The Minister revealed that the true impact of the withdrawn UK aid will be felt most acutely by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Malawi, many of which rely heavily on British government funding to implement development projects across the country — from health and education initiatives to social protection programmes.
But Mwanamvekha sought to offer a silver lining amid the gloom, telling MPs that while the UK was scaling back its support, several other international donors were expected to step up their contributions to Malawi in the coming years, helping to offset the shortfall.
The dramatic reduction in UK aid comes amid a broader global trend of Western donor nations tightening their foreign aid budgets, a shift that has sparked growing anxiety across the developing world over the sustainability of donor-dependent public services.
Malawi, which has long relied on external support to bankroll significant portions of its national budget, now faces mounting pressure to accelerate domestic revenue mobilisation efforts as traditional donor relationships shift and evolve.
GPGrace Phiri
2h agoFinally some clarity on this. Thanks for the detailed breakdown.
JBJames Banda
1h agoI hope the authorities actually follow through this time.
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