Religious Leaders Learn Tax Justice to Boost Malawi's Economic Development
The workshop represents a strategic effort to empower religious leaders as agents of economic policy change in Malawi.
LILONGWE, MALAWI— Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid (NCA/DCA) are training religious leaders from five faith groups on tax justice, debt management, and economic reform to drive systemic change in Malawi, writes Esther Banda.
Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid (NCA/DCA) hosted a two-day workshop Wednesday, bringing together leaders from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Evangelical Association of Malawi, Malawi Council of Churches, Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi, and Muslim Association of Malawi.
The training aims to deepen understanding of taxation systems, analyze Malawi's economic challenges, and build capacity for public advocacy.
"What we need is not just another policy tweak but a system revolution," said Stefan Jansen, NCA/DCA country director.
"A complete transformation that propels us towards self-reliance and industrialization."
Andrew Nkumbatira from the Malawi Economic Justice Network emphasised the unique influence of religious leaders. "Religious leaders have an appeal that when they speak, the powers do listen," he said.
Participants discussed critical issues, including tax burden on poor communities and corporate influence in government investment strategies.
Rev. Alemekezeke Chikondi Phiri, General Secretary of the Malawi Council of Churches, criticized current taxation practices.
"It's unfortunate that in Malawi, even the poorest pay taxes that do not improve their livelihoods," he said.
Mwai Sandram, NCA/DCA Programme Coordinator, noted that the training would help civil society organisations enhance their advocacy efforts by bridging understanding gaps about taxation and debt.
The workshop represents a strategic effort to empower religious leaders as agents of economic policy change in Malawi.