By Chisomo Phiri
United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi on Sunday afternoon launched his party’s manifesto titled ‘Innovate Malawi’ at Nyambadwe Primary School Ground in Blantyre.
Speaking to journalists after the launch,Muluzi described the manifesto as an ‘economic reset’ aimed at stabilizing and transforming Malawi’s economy through innovation, technology, and sustainable investment.
He said the UDF government would prioritize economic stabilization under a ‘business-first’ approach before moving towards large-scale innovation.
Muluzi pledged to introduce advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital finance, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins, alongside the creation of a sovereign wealth fund to unlock new financing opportunities for the country.
“This is not just a promise,it is already supported and ready to be implemented for the future of this country.
“We are sitting on some of the largest critical mineral reserves in the world, which are the new oil. We are going to establish a sovereign wealth fund, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has already signed an agreement to support us in building credibility for this fund. Any serious country today has a sovereign wealth fund, and to be supported by the UAE will be a game changer,” he said.
Muluzi emphasized that restoring confidence in Malawi’s governance and economy would be central to attracting investment,saying that the country had lost nearly half of its donor support due to corruption.
“The world is looking for confidence. Money follows accountability and trust.Corruption is bad, but this is not about a witch hunt. We are saying those who have stolen should return the money, but most importantly, we must stop corruption moving forward,” he said.
Commenting on the upcoming September 16 general elections,Muluzi expressed confidence in the UDF’s chances at the ballot paper.
“An election is an election.Anything can happen. The people of Malawi will speak through the ballot paper, and I believe they will vote for the UDF,” he said.
Turning to agriculture, the UDF leader described the sector as central to Malawi’s economic transformation.
He promised to move farmers from subsistence farming to large-scale commercial agriculture, particularly in high-value export crops such as macadamia.
“We will provide farmers with inputs such as fertilizer and seedlings to lift them out of poverty. At the same time, we will make fertilizer affordable by strengthening household incomes. The revenue generated from new investments will be directed towards agriculture, energy, mining, and tourism sectors that will drive job creation and economic transformation,” he said.
Muluzi further stressed that the government must widen its revenue base beyond the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), which is currently struggling to meet targets as businesses face financial hardships.
“You cannot rely only on tax collection when companies are squeezed. We must fix the economy first, bring in new revenue streams, and reinvest in agriculture, energy, mining, and tourism to create jobs and drive economic transformation,” he said.
On his part, Muluzi running mate Dr. Rex Kalolo also expressed confidence that UDF is going to win the upcoming September 16 general elections saying the party is still strong in all regions of the country.
Kalolo said Malawi needs Muluzi as its next leader, citing his clean track record in politics.
He said the UDF leader has never been involved in corruption scandals nor faced arrests linked to theft.
The UDF running mate further assured that if Muluzi is elected, key government initiatives such as the Masaf social support program and the Starter Pack program will be revived for the benefit of Malawians.
