Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa has criticized the Tonse Alliance government policies which he said are driving the country into social-economic turmoil.

He said this in his speech, marking the end of the three-week sitting of Parliament.

“Malawi is not rising when a food crisis is imminent because of bad agricultural policies. Malawi is not rising when a bag of maize is selling at K20, 000.

“Malawi is not rising when tired and retired legs crawl back into the job market at the expense of the youth,” said Nankhumwa.

Nankhumwa then blasted President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for claiming that the economy is rising under his reign.

“I am afraid; this is not the case with our economy right now. At the moment, the Malawi economy is in ICU, and to say that Malawi is rising against all these economic hardships is an insult to Malawians. I, therefore, condemn the President’s statement in its entirely,” said Nankhumwa.

He added: “In any case, the variables of our economy tell a different story than the one being trumpeted. For example, the government announced recently that the number of Agricultural Inputs Programme (AIP) beneficiaries will be reduced by half this growing season. What this means is that the number of people that will be prone to hunger next year has increased.

“As I am talking, this government does not have any idea of how to bring fertilizer into the country for AIP this year because of inadequate forex to pay for the product. What is even worse is that the little fertilizer that may be imported will be very expensive for Malawians to afford translating, again, to hunger next season.”

On his part leader of the house Richard Chimwendo Banda denied the claims that AIP beneficiaries have been halved.

He said the number has just been reduced and the Minister of Agriculture will soon release the number of people who will benefit from the exercise.