Mwanamvekha Unveils 2026/27 Budget As Government Claims Victory Over Hunger

Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha has credited strategic government interventions for successfully averting a national food crisis during the recent lean period. Presenting the 2026/27 National Budget in Parliament, the minister told the house that the administration’s measures effectively prevented widespread hunger across the country.

According to Mwanamvekha, maize prices were successfully stabilized and contained at approximately K100,000 per bag. He argued that this price ceiling significantly improved affordability and food access for Malawians who would have otherwise been priced out of the market. The minister noted that these efforts fulfilled President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s standing pledge to ensure that no Malawian dies of hunger or is forced to consume unsafe food.

In a move to further strengthen the national social safety net, the minister also announced a massive scale-up of the Public Works Programme. The number of beneficiaries has more than doubled, jumping from 528,000 to 1.1 million households. This expansion is intended to provide immediate financial support to vulnerable families while contributing to local infrastructure development.