Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Simplex Chithyola Banda, is set to present the 2025/26 budget statement in Parliament today.
This follows two weeks of debates and responses to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on February 14. According to the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the budget presentation will commence at 14:00 hours instead of the usual 09:00 hours.
Meanwhile, opposition leader George Chaponda has reversed his Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) earlier decision to boycott the session. The DPP had walked out of Parliament on Wednesday when President Chakwera was responding to questions on his SONA.
Chaponda stated that the party decided to attend because the budget is a crucial document that Malawians expect to address ongoing economic challenges. “We have agreed to be present during the budget presentation because we want to see what the government has prepared for Malawians in the coming financial year,” he said.
The budget presentation is being closely watched by both local citizens and international partners, eager to see the government’s financial plans for the year ahead.
