Malawi Governance and Public Finance Systems
Malawi does not primarily suffer from a shortage of reform strategies. The more difficult challenge is turning formal commitments into functioning institutions. This report assesses four closely interconnected pillars of the country’s governance and public finance system: Domestic Resource Mobilisation; Public Financial Management; Statistical Capacity; and Anti-Corruption. Across all four areas, laws, strategies and institutional frameworks are largely in place, and important technical improvements are visible. Yet implementation remains uneven, constrained by weak coordination, limited institutional independence, political interference, capacity constraints, and continued dependence on external support.
A central finding is that progress in these areas is mutually dependent. Stronger revenue mobilisation will have limited impact without credible budgeting and expenditure control; effective fiscal management requires reliable data; and transparency and robust accountability institutions are essential for sustaining both. Weaknesses in one part of the system can therefore undermine reforms elsewhere.
For development partners, this calls for coordinated, system-wide support aligned with Malawi’s own reform frameworks, rather than fragmented interventions and parallel systems. The priority is not simply to introduce new reforms, but to strengthen domestic ownership and translate existing commitments into sustained institutional performance. Ultimately, greater fiscal resilience, accountability and improved public service delivery will depend on connecting reforms across revenue, expenditure, statistics and anti-corruption systems.
