Chakwera to hold over 40 engagements over course of 15 days in US

The UN General Assembly

* Include high-level meetings with world leaders and heads of various international institutions

* He is also expected to hold various engagements to promote Malawi’s bilateral relations with the USA Government

* All geared towards mobilizing over a billion US dollars in resources for various sectors in Malawi

By Duncan Mlanjira

President Lazarus Chakwera, who leaves for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) tomorrow, September 12, is expected to hold 40 other engagements apart from addressing the 77th Session in New York, USA.

A public notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the 40 engagements include high-level meetings with world leaders and heads of various international institutions — “all geared towards mobilizing over a billion US dollars in resources for various sectors in Malawi”.

Chakwera, who will be in the US for 15 days — returning home on October 2 — is also expected to hold various engagements “to promote Malawi’s bilateral relations with the USA Government”.

On his transit to New York, the President is expected to stop over in Nairobi, Kenya to attend the inauguration of President-Elect William Kipchirchir Arap Ruto.

The Ministry emphasized that this will be the first UNGA that Chakwera will attend physically since he ascended to power in 2020 amidst COVID-19 pandemic, having participated in previous two meetings virtually.

During Government Faces The Press on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Affairs, Nancy Tembo clarified that Chakwera’s entourage would be less than 37, saying the trimming of the delegation is part of the austerity measures the President’s administration is currently implementing.

She also said this will be the first of its kind for the Government to send a delegation to UNGA that normally has over 90 people and she also alluded that the entourage could be reduced further to save more resources.

Tembo said the 2022 UNGA Summit is critical to Malawi as it comes at a time the country is facing various social and economic challenges emanating from CoVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

This clarification was in response for Forum for National Development (FND), which penned the President on September 2, to consider not to attend the UNGA by staying in office to solve the country’s economic crisis.

FND national coordinator Fryson Chodzi had contended that they were reliably informed that Chakwera’s entourage was to be not less than 30 people, alleging that close to K1 billion would be spent on allowances and other logistics.

He insisted that the trip will require forex and is happening at a time the President rolled out “tough and strict austerity measures which government ministries, agencies and departments have to follow [which] included restriction on foreign trips”.

He also said the trip coincides with government’s decision to devalue the kwacha by 25% “as a result of sharp shrinking of foreign currency reserves due, according to the Central Bank, to a drop in export revenues” and at a time the country “is experiencing erratic supply of fuel due to non-availability of forex, hence affecting economic activities”.

If Chakwera was to consider cancelling the UNGA trip, Chodzi contended that it will save money which can alternatively be used to import drugs;  salvaging the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate importation of much needed fertilizer and could demonstrate Chakwera’s “true will of servant leadership and setting a tone against wastefulness and complying to your own order of strict adherence to austerity measures”.

“Mr. President, staying behind with your people that are experiencing unprecedented load shedding, will demonstrate your zeal to resolve the problem — your country needs economic growth,” he had said.