Malawi’s Minister of Finance and Economic Panning Simplex Chithyola Sed Banda has been praised for the way in which he is handling the country’s economic affairs whose results have now started bearing fruit.
The recommendations on Chithyola Banda come on a day when for the fist time in nearly 20 years, trains have reached the Malawi capital, Lilongwe.
This is the first time that trains have started reaching Malawi’s administrative capital after damage was done to rail tracks. The last train used the rail line into Lilongwe in 2003.
According to analysts, the fact that Malawi is thinking beyond road transport which has its own challenges, it only explains that the government machinery especially the Minister of Finance is doing a good job.
“We are talking of prudent use of financial resources here and put to good use. We must commend Minister Chithyola Banda for the good job well done,” said a Lilongwe based analyst.
An economist working with the World Bank said that major projects like the one unveiled in Lilongwe on Tuesday only signifies that the man entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the country’s money is on top of his game.
“This might appear simple to others but economically, the Ministry of Finance have done a commendable job and the one at the top gets the credit,” he said.
Analysts have also indicated that recent reports on steady inflow of donor support have shown that there is trust and confidence in the man at the helm of the Ministry of Finance.
According to NOCMA Chief Executive Officer Clement Kanyama, the inaugural train that arrived at their Lilongwe reserves carried 640,000 Litres of fuel from the Mozambican Port of Nacala covering a distance of 988 kilometers into the heart of Malawi.
According to economists, rail transport is cheaper compared to road transport which has its own challenges.
On a Saturday, 7th October, 2023, Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera pulled a surprise in appointing a little known Simplex Chithyola Sed Banda as the country’s new Finance and Economic Planning Minister.
Little known because not so many had heard about Chithyola Banda as he had only been Minister of Trade for only about six months also.
However, the Malawian leader had all the trust and confidence in Chithyola Banda that as a political head at Treasury, he was going to steer Malawi’s economic ship in the right direction.
Having clocked just over 10 months, Simplex Chithyola Banda has proved that he is just a right pair of safe hands at the heart of Malawi’s economy.
Within a few months he has been at the helm, Banda has managed to restore confidence in local business captains and convince the international community to start opening their aid taps.
Analysts have hailed President Chakwera for being bold enough to bring in someone who was little known but knowledgeable enough.
Chithyola’s appointment was applauded by the vocal Consumer Association of Malawi Executive Director John Kapito who said that Simplex Chithyola Banda was the right person to be at the Ministry Finance because over the years he has accumulated a lot of experience which if combined with the technical knowledge at the Ministry is giving us the better results we are all seeing today.
Anothoer political pundit said that the good performance shown by Chithyola Banda at the Ministries he has held this far, will make it easier for him to excel once he is elected as ruling Malawi Congress Party’s Secretary General come this August.
“The man is just amazing. He is quiet but just delivers. Look at what he did at the Ministry of Trade and now Finance. All this good performance within a short period of time,” he said.
Apart from being Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Chithyola Banda is also a Member of Parliament for Kasungu South.
As a Member of Parliament, the MCP also entrusted him with the responsibility as the party’s Deputy Chief Whip in the August House.
The cool and collective Simplex Chithyola Sed Banda born in 1969, has a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration.
These accolades and his good interpersonal skills with people and his down to earth altitude are some of the key attributes that have made Simplex Chithyola Sed Banda to be the next Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party.
The MCP goes to its elective Convention in August this year.
