By Linda Kwanjana
Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has arrived safely in Ghana where he is destined to attend the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which is convening its 30th Annual Meetings from 18 June, 2023.
The 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings 2023 are slated to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre, under the banner “Delivering the Vision, Building Prosperity for Africans.”
Chakwera arrived in Ghana via Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
“We have arrived safely in Accra to a warm welcome from our hosts in readiness for the 30th annual meetings of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) from tomorrow.
Our prime purpose here is to safeguard Malawi’s interests in trade and promote our economy as a viable investment destination. Another priority on our schedule is to lobby for a more sustainable debt management plan with Afreximbank as a pathway to restoration of the Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund. I am optimistic of positive outcomes from this tour of duty,” writes Chakwera on his official Facebook page.
He was cordially welcomed by a delegation of Ghanaian government officials, including High Commissioner to Malawi Khadija Iddrisu.
The bank has graciously underwritten the President’s travel expenses, furnishing both air transportation and accommodations.
Prior to his departure from Lilongwe, President Chakwera addressed members of the press, stating that during the annual meeting, heads of state and government representatives from member countries will convene to exchange insights on the progress, challenges, and future prospects of the bank, which was established 30 years prior.
President Chakwera’s journey also serves to fulfill assurances he previously made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team that he would personally engage with the bank to devise a debt repayment plan.
The IMF is keen to ascertain how the country intends to sustainably restructure its debt – a legacy bequeathed by the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government – before it can be deemed eligible for the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).
A significant portion of the external debt with which the country is currently contending originates from Afreximbank and the Chinese Government.
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