Malawi Lawmakers Pass Bill to Regulate Economists Like Lawyers
Malawi’s parliament has passed a landmark bill that will bring the country’s economists under statutory regulation, placing the profession on a similar legal footing to lawyers, according to AllAfrica.
The legislation, reported by Nyasa Times, was among measures cleared by the National Assembly during what local media described as a particularly productive sitting. Once enacted, the bill is expected to establish a formal regulatory framework covering the conduct and professional standards of economists operating in Malawi.
Professional regulation in Malawi
Malawi already requires a number of professions — including lawyers, medical practitioners and engineers — to register with statutory bodies before they can practise. The legal profession, for instance, falls under the oversight of a professional society that sets admission requirements, handles complaints and enforces a code of conduct. The new legislation would create a comparable structure for economists, defining who may hold themselves out as economists in the country and setting minimum qualifications and ethical standards for the profession.
Wider context
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa whose economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture, with tobacco a long-standing major export. The country has faced persistent fiscal and economic challenges over recent decades and has engaged with international financial institutions on various reform programmes. Proponents of tighter regulation of economic practitioners have argued that bringing economists under a formal legal framework would raise the standard of advice available to government, business and civil society, and would give clients a route to redress in cases of malpractice.
The bill now awaits presidential assent before becoming law.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
