Malawi limps on UN SDGs progress

Five years to the dealine for the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Malawi is on track on just one of the 17 goals, representing a paltry 2.7 percent success rate, UN data contained in the Brookings Institution report shows.

The report by Brookings Institution, a think-tank that conducts research and analysis on various topics related to public policy, economics and society, shows that globally, 17 percent of the targets are on track while about 35 percent are stagnating or regressing.

UN assistant secretary general and UN Development Programme regional bureau for Africa director Ahunna Eziakonwa is quoted in the report as having said that out of 17 SDGs, Malawi is only on track on goal number 10 on reducing inequalities.

The report further shows that progress on goals number one and 15 has stagnated while on goals two, four, five, seven, eight, 11, 12, 16 and 17, the country has been on the decline, while on the other goals, there is insufficient data.

But Eziakonwa said reversing this troubling trajectory in Africa will require a new bold strategic approach, adequate and affordable financing and renewed political commitment.

She said: “African countries must also prioritise efficiency enhancements in domestic development spending, which far exceeds aid dollars. Additionally, the financing of strategic investments [particularly infrastructure, energy, and technology] requires increased ingenuity and ambition.

“Improving public financial management and closing tax/contractual loopholes could generate almost twice the amount of Official Development Assistance [ODA] that African countries currently receive.”

In the report, UN Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca) deputy executive secretary and chief economist Hanan Morsy said among the several factors required to accelerate progress toward the SDGs, availability of development finance or investment in the SDGs is the most critical.

She said: “First, domestic resource mobilisation remains limited, with many African economies struggling with narrow tax bases, tax evasion and inefficiencies in public financial management.

“Secondly, the high debt burden of many African nations has crowded out public investment in critical sectors such as health care, education and infrastructure, undermining efforts to achieve the SDGs.”

According to estimates by Uneca, successful implementation of the SDGs would require $1.3 trillion annually, of which it is estimated African countries could mobilise a little over 50 percent, leaving a huge financing gap.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) said this gap has been worsened by global economic downturns, the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change-related catastrophes, creating significant pressure on national budgets and development efforts across the continent, making it difficult for countries to achieve SGDs.

Scotland-based Malawian economist Velli Nyirongo said in an interview yesterday that given the country’s current economic structure and challenges, it would be difficult for the country to fully bridge the financing gap through domestic means to achieve SGDs.

“A multi-faceted approach combining domestic resource mobilisation, improved tax administration, foreign aid, concessional loans and private sector engagement is necessary to address the financing needs effectively,” he said.

Speaking at a meeting with global partners and investors during the Malawi Partners Conference on the sidelines of 78th United Nations General Assembly Conference in New York last year, President Lazarus Chakwera appealed for more support from development partners, financial institutions and other advanced countries to assist Malawi to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

Last year, AfDB said given the current inflows of financing, Malawi faced a gap of about $3.59 billion (about K6.2 trillion) or $0.63 billion (K1.1 trillion) annually to fast-track structural transformation for the 2030 Agenda for SDGs.

AfDB data show that in 2022, ODA flows for Malawi amounted to $926.1 million in 2021 while net portfolio investments were negative since 2019 when the debt crisis worsened, and foreign reserves dwindled to less than one month of imports cover.

SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated and recognise that action in one area will affect outcomes in others.

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