Youth and Society (YAS) has bemoaned increasing levels of corruption in the country, saying serious and organized corruption is undermining the future of the youth by creating a toxic environment that is unfair and unjust.

YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka on Sunday said, corruption is depriving the youth opportunities of growth and development, which impairs their ability to succeed in life.

Kajoloweka said corruption impacts the youth by restricting their access to fundamental socioeconomic development including education, employment, and healthcare, as it often diverts funds away from education and into the pockets of corrupt officials, making it difficult for young people to access quality development.

He also said that this creates a cycle of poverty and inequality that prevents the youth from succeeding in life. Therefore, it is essential that as a country they should combat corruption.

“To combat endemic corruption in Malawi, they must allocate resources to support the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACs) and strengthen governance and law enforcement agencies to combat organized corruption effectively.

Kajoloweka concluded that as a country they must also prioritize transparency, accountability, and integrity in public institutions to rebuild public trust and confidence. Government also needs to provide adequate resources to key governance and law enforcement agencies to enhance their capacity to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption.

In the 2024/25 national budget, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was allocated K8.691 billion, which is falling short of what the bureau requested which is K10.833; billion representing a 20 percent deficit.

Martha Chizuma ACB Director General Martha Chizuma told a parliamentary committee cluster last month, that the shortfall is likely to impact the bureaus performance in the coming year.

Despite the resource constraints, the bureau is still determined to fight corruption.

Chizuma concluded the zeal is still there, and ACB still has enthusiasm despite many challenges it has been facing. However, for the bureau to perform better in the flight, every citizen has to take responsibility, from the president to a mere citizen who decides to do things ethically.

2023/24 national budget, the bureau received an allocation of K7.29 billion.

Source: Times