Mutharika worsens Malawi’s global competitiveness position

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Peter Mutharika+Saulos Chilima+Gertrude Mutharika

If there were any doubts that President Peter Mutharika is driving Malawi into oblivion, those doubts come to rest today with the release of the Global Competitiveness Report which has seen the country miss out on Africa’s list of 10 highly competitive countries.

Peter Mutharika+Saulos Chilima+Gertrude Mutharika
Taking Malawi on a bumpy rider

At 135, Malawi is just 5 places from the bottom of the least competitive destinations globally. The country has fallen 2 places from 132 during the 12 month that Peter Mutharika has been president, mandated to inspire the country’s economic growth among other development features.

Mauritius, ranked 46 in the world, leads Africa’s regional competitiveness ranking seconded by South Africa which sits at 49 globally.

Switzeland maintains its position on number one in the global rank, whereas Malawi’s top donors, US and Britain are ranked 3rd and 10th respectively, both falling with one position.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 140 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide.

The index comes on the heel of the World Bank’s Development report that indexed Malawi as the world’s poorest.

Mutharika who is in the US attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been lambasted for not showing signs that he cares about the country’s economic crisis.

Instead of employing measures to salvage the economy from further recession, Mutharika took a 120-member-delegate to the UNGA. The bloated delegates, largely comprising of Mutharika’s bootlickers,  have reportedly blown over K1 billion of public funds.