ECAMA PARTNERS WITH THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM ON PUBLIC DEBT

The National youth council held its first-ever symposium under the theme “Reimagining Youth Engagement: Debt Transparency and Accountability” from the 5th to 6th August 2026. The symposium was organized to educate young Malawians on the country’s public debt situation and to provide a platform for them to voice their views on the issue.

Senior Economist Mr. Lucious Pawa represented the Executive Director, Dr. Esmie Koriheya Kanyumbu, as one of the facilitators on the first day of the event. He contributed to the capacity-building; training on public debt. Mr. Pawa enlightened the youth on the budget process, public debt and youth entry points for youth engagement.

Mr. Pawa emphasized that the young Malawians cannot advocate effectively if they are not equipped with the accurate information given their high exposure to misinformation. He shared that the country’s current public debt has accumulated over time and is not a recent development. Mr. Pawa noted that that public debt itself is not the problem; rather the challenges arise from how the borrowed resources from both external and internal are utilised.

The ECAMA Senior Economist advised the young to identify clear entry points for engagement by proposing practical solutions to government instead of merely raising continuous complaints. He concluded by urging the participants to be very specific in their position paper about the actions they would like the government to take.

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