The University of Malawi (UNIMA) beat Blantyre International University to win this year’s Students’ Debates Competition on Public Finance Management (PFM).  The final debate took place at Sunbird Capital Hotel on Friday 29th October 2021. The teams debated on the topic, ‘Have Public Finance Management reforms effectively contributed to better public service delivery?’.

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BIU were named the opposers and were represented by Mashud Hilary Msipe, Pempho Kelvin Mwanza, Jean Ingabile, and Anthony Botha while UNIMA were named the proposers and were represented by Jennifer Mwenebanda, Fatso Makuluni, Precious Bengo and Samuel Mphande.

The event was graced with the presence of the Guest of Honor, Dr. Grant Kabango, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr. Bartosz Studniarski, Team Leader for the Economic Cooperation and Public Sector in the EU delegation and Ms. Lingalireni Mihowa, Oxfam in Malawi Country Director. In his speech, the Guest of Honor informed the audience that, “this series of debates is very important as it indulges youths in open policy dialogue there-by encouraging them to participate in shaping the development agenda of the country, by creating a forum for students to interact and share knowledge on how they can contribute innovative ideas to the development of the country.”

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Mr. Leslie Mkandawire, a Corporate Development Executive and Director at Mlomboji and Partners Consulting, Dr. Gladys Chipungu who heads the External Sector Division in the Economic Policy and Research Department at the Reserve Bank of Malawi and Mr. Charles Lumanga, Head of Operations at the National Audit Office Support Unit were on the judges’ panel.

BIU defeated the Catholic University of Malawi and Malawi Assemblies of God University to book their place in the final round. On the other hand, UNIMA edged past Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture.

The 2021 University Students’ Debates, the debates were organized by ECAMA and its partners Oxfam in Malawi and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) with financial support from the Delegation of the European Union to Malawi (EU).