Malawi is closer to a fresh deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the Fund said the country has taken decisive steps to repair its troubled economy.
The IMF says the reforms could help restore economic stability under the National Economic Recovery Plan (NERP), with the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme at the centre of discussions.
IMF Mission Chief for Malawi Justin Tyson made the remarks after his team concluded meetings in Lilongwe held from September 22 to October 6, 2026.
The talks focused heavily on Malawi’s ECF arrangement as government pushes to secure a revised programme to support efforts to stabilise the economy.
Tyson said the IMF team met Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha, Reserve Bank of Malawi Governor George Partridge, Secretary to the Treasury Cliff Chiunda, RBM Deputy Governor Henry Mathanga and other senior government officials.
The discussions come as Malawi continues to battle a severe foreign exchange shortage that has affected access to fuel, medicines and other imported goods.
President Arthur Peter Mutharika had earlier confirmed that IMF and World Bank officials were in the country for discussions on revising the ECF programme.
In an interview with the state broadcaster, Mutharika said securing the programme would be crucial to the government’s efforts to stabilise the economy.
“Once we get that, we will be able to stabilize the economy,” Mutharika said.
The IMF’s latest assessment gives government some breathing room as it seeks to convince the Fund that its economic reforms are delivering results.
It is hoped that a revised ECF programme could also strengthen Malawi’s access to external financing and help restore confidence in an economy struggling with foreign exchange shortages and rising prices.
