Government has with immediate effect suspended all Government-funded workshops, seminars, meetings and other official engagements being conducted outside duty stations for public employees.
The directive has been announced by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) at Capital Hill in Lilongwe in a press release dated 15th September, 2026, Ref No. CS/5/001, signed by Chief Secretary Justin Adack Saidi, PhD.
According to the statement, the move is in line with Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline and prudent management of public resources, as no Government-funded workshop or meeting involving public employees shall be conducted outside their respective duty stations.
OPC says the reiteration of the directive underscores Government’s determination to eliminate avoidable expenditure, maximise efficient utilisation of existing public facilities and ensure that public resources are prioritised for essential services and national development.
Accordingly, all Controlling Officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed to ensure full and deliberate utilisation of existing Government facilities at their respective duty stations, including conference rooms, boardrooms and other suitable institutional spaces.
The Controlling Officers have also been ordered to prohibit the use of external venues such as hotels and lodges for Government-funded activities, and to exercise firm oversight to enforce strict compliance with the directive across their institutions.
OPC emphasises that all expenditure must be properly authorised, justified and consistent with the Government’s austerity agenda, warning that no exceptions will be tolerated.
The Government says it remains firmly committed to prudent expenditure, efficient utilisation of public resources and implementation of reforms that safeguard the public purse while advancing national development.
