President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has announced a temporary ban on government officials’ foreign travel, including himself, as part of measures to address the country’s economic crisis. The decision comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $175 million loan to the small southern African nation. The ban covers state-funded foreign travel for all officials at various levels until the end of the fiscal year in March.
President Chakwera, a former evangelical preacher, revealed the freeze on foreign travel during a televised address. The move means that he will not be attending the COP28 climate summit scheduled to begin in late November in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, officials currently abroad for official travel have been instructed to expedite their return home, and the fuel budget for senior government officials will be halved.
Malawi, a landlocked country between Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia, recently announced a 44% devaluation of its currency, the kwacha, to secure the IMF loan. The nation has faced challenges in achieving sustained growth despite receiving substantial development aid budgets. The IMF noted that the last three years have been particularly difficult due to stagnant growth, unsustainable debt, and multiple shocks, including a recent cholera epidemic and a cyclone that claimed over 1,000 lives this year.