UNIMA are 2022 University Students' Debate Champions!!!

The outcome of the University students' debate on Public Finance Management, according to Dr Betchani Tchereni, ECAMA's Vice President, will develop research skills among the youth.

Malawi: The University of Malawi (UNIMA) on Friday, December 9, 2022, won the University Students' Debate on Public Finance Management organised by the Economics Association of Malawi (ECAMA) in collaboration with OXFAM in Malawi and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources after defeating the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).

Prof. Winford Masanjala, guest of honour at the event, said the debate is critical for understanding public financial management, and it will help the country's youth better understand Public Finance Management (PFM) and demand accountability from duty bearers.

"Basically, the debates have imparted great leadership skills to the country's university students, which will help stir Malawi in the right direction when they become leaders," he said.

UNiMA's team captain, Jatta Manoah Mhone, a fourth-year student studying Bachelor of Arts in Economics, said it wasn't difficult to defend the trophy because when they saw the topic and decided that, despite the country's high levels of public debt, the government should continue borrowing, they made sure their facts were correct.

"It's been a long journey, the debates were organised into the preliminary, and semi-final, and the first round was officially launched on Friday the 14th of October 2022, so you can see that we had to do our homework battling with the best like BIU, LUANAR, PLU, MUBAS, MAGU, MIM, and CCU," he explained.

The outcome of the University students' debate on Public Finance Management, according to Dr Betchani Tchereni, ECAMA's Vice President, will develop research skills among the youth for their active participation.

"The debates were free and fair, and we are just glad that all teams gave their best; we plan to continue next year as this is a platform for the youth to provide alternative policy pathways," he said.

The overall goal of the debates is to provide a unique opportunity for students to share perspectives as well as well-researched evidence on best practices in PFM policy and practice, which could be used to influence PMF policy decision-making in the country.

Following their victory, UNIMA received one million kwacha, while the runners-up, LUANAR, received half a million.

The European Union Delegation in Malawi and OXFAM in Malawi provided technical and financial support for the debate competition.

"Osaphweketsa, Yuthi Yodzitsata Must Take a Role Kuti Chuma Cha Dziko Chiyende Bho" (a well-informed youth must play a role in improving the country's economy) was the theme of this year's debate.