EXCLUSIVE

LILONGWE--Former Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe is set to make a return to his old job as finance minister, four years after he relinquished it, a senior Peoples Party (PP) official has told MaraPost.
Goodall, a retired International Monetary Fund guru and a politician who announced his retirement, is expected to make the return to his post before the November 12 sitting of parliament, a move international cooperating partners have welcomed.

Accredited for bringing Malawi back to the IMF programme after a messy two-year period (2003 to 2005) and the country’s completion of the debt relief requirement, Gondwe, who served as finance minister, became popular for helping save Malawi’s economy and putting it on a steady path to recovery.

“He is someone everyone respects highly,” a senior Western diplomat said. “Mrs. Joyce Banda has been preaching the spirit of inclusiveness. By recognizing Goodall talents, she is sending a powerful political message that all talented Malawians are welcome to rebuild the country.”

Goodall is said to have already met Pres Joyce Banda and Vice Pres Khumbo Kachali over the deal and a cabinet reshuffle announcement is expected to come before the next sitting of the National Assembly slated for November 12.

He will replace Ken Lipenga who refused to resign after it became clear that he presented to parliament a false report touting the success of the failed zero deficit budget which the Banda administration discontinued.
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© The Maravi Post 2012. Reproduction without acknowledgement prohibited