The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for strengthened, coordinated, and proactive parliamentary oversight as Malawi navigates growing fiscal pressures, public debt challenges, and increasing demands on public resources.
Speaking at the opening of an Induction Workshop for Parliamentary Oversight Committees at the Parliament Complex on Sunday, UNDP underscored the critical role of Parliament in safeguarding public funds, promoting fiscal discipline, and reinforcing public trust in national institutions.
Addressing Honourable Chairpersons, Members of Parliament, facilitators, and partners, UNDP commended the leadership of Parliament, including the Right Honourable Speaker Sameer Gaffar Suleman, the Clerk of Parliament and her team, and members of key oversight committees, for their commitment to collaboration and accountability.
The workshop builds on earlier induction sessions and focuses on strengthening oversight across the full budget cycle — from formulation and approval to execution and post-expenditure review. Key thematic areas include public debt management, fiscal risks, domestic resource mobilization, and oversight of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
“These are not abstract technical issues,” UNDP noted. “They go to the heart of Malawi’s development agenda and the trajectory the country can take.”
With Malawi facing limited fiscal space, rising public debt, and heightened pressure on public finances, UNDP emphasized that strong parliamentary oversight is no longer optional but essential. Effective oversight, the organization stressed, is a cornerstone of macroeconomic stability, investor confidence, and the delivery of essential services to citizens.
The three core parliamentary committees — the Budget and Finance Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Corporations and State Enterprises — were highlighted as having distinct yet complementary mandates. When coordinated effectively, these committees form a comprehensive system of checks and balances across the entire budget process.
UNDP further pointed to the delicate balance between financing development and maintaining debt sustainability. While development requires both domestic and external financing, including debt, vigilant parliamentary scrutiny is necessary to ensure borrowing today does not undermine economic stability tomorrow.
Drawing on experiences from across Africa and globally, UNDP observed that countries with early parliamentary engagement in the budget process tend to achieve better fiscal outcomes. Scrutiny of macro-fiscal assumptions, borrowing plans, revenue projections, and guarantees before decisions are finalized helps prevent fiscal risks rather than merely responding to them after the fact.
The workshop places strong emphasis on oversight at all stages of the budget cycle, including formulation and approval, as well as on public debt oversight and fiscal risk management. Participants will also explore domestic resource mobilization as a governance issue, focusing on transparency, fairness, tax expenditures, and reducing revenue leakages.
Attention was also drawn to fiscal risks that arise outside the formal budget framework, particularly from SOEs, contingent liabilities, and guarantees. Parliament’s role in demanding disclosure, interrogating fiscal risk reports, and questioning underlying assumptions was described as vital to preventing the accumulation of hidden liabilities.
The induction workshop is designed to be highly practical, featuring group exercises on effective questioning, analysis of fiscal risk reports, and committee-specific breakout sessions aimed at translating knowledge into actionable oversight tools.
UNDP reaffirmed that its support aligns with its broader governance mandate to strengthen institutions, enhance accountability, and support democratic processes that deliver tangible development outcomes. The organization also emphasized that effective oversight should be constructive rather than adversarial, contributing to better executive performance, stronger policy coherence, and increased public confidence.
As deliberations continue over the next day and a half, Members of Parliament were encouraged to engage in open dialogue, candid discussion, and practical problem-solving, drawing on comparative experiences from across Africa, civil society insights, and technical expertise.
“At its core, parliamentary oversight protects the public interest,” UNDP concluded. “It ensures that borrowing today does not compromise tomorrow, that revenue is collected fairly and used effectively, and that public institutions operate transparently and responsibly.”
UNDP reaffirmed its continued commitment to supporting Malawi’s Parliament in strengthening its oversight role.
Zikomo Kwambiri.
