By Martha Chikoti

The National Debt Coalition, a group of non-governmental organizations including AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Action Aid, has called for transparency and accountability on Malawi’s MWK24 trillion debt.

Making the call at a recent press briefing in Lilongwe, the coalition urged government to make the information accessible to everyone, including those living in remote areas.

Speaking with reporters, AHF Country Program Manager Triza Kakhobwe Hara said the debt has potential to affect many areas including education, health, care, and environment.

“Citizens have a right to know how much is borrowed, from whom, on what terms, and for what purpose. Parliament must strengthen oversight and government must publish borrowing details in plain language so Malawians can follow the money,” she explained.

Hara said developing countries like Malawi lack real negotiating power at the table with creditors, the IMF, and private lenders, and that imbalance must change.

“When loan terms force cuts to essential services, the right to health, education, and dignity is violated. Malawi needs a seat at the table and rules that protect borrowers, not just lenders,” she stressed.

Executive Director for Quota4Youth, Precious Mafunga underscored the need for the inclusion of young people in debt discussions by giving them a platform and access to information.

“We are the ones who will inherit these obligations and live with the consequences. If decisions are made without us, then the future is being written without the people who will live in it,” he stated.

Mafunga added that environmental issues must also be considered because they directly involve the youth.

“Debt agreements should include climate clauses and debt-for-nature swaps so that recovery is possible and the environment we will inherit is protected,” he said.

Malawi’s public debt has risen to MWK24 trillion driven by years of external borrowing, climate-related shocks, and health emergencies that forced the government to take on more loans.

Debt servicing now consumes a growing share of the national budget, leaving less funding for essential services like health, education, and infrastructure.