Parliament has passed two Bills aimed at improving financial management and pushing Malawi towards digital payments. Bill No. 16 of 2026, the Bills of Exchange (Amendment) Bill, ends the use of cheques as a recognized form of payment in Malawi. The Bill received support from both the Malawi Congress Party and the United Transformation Movement. According to Lilongwe Phirilanjuzu MP and MCP spokesperson on financial matters Peter Dimba, the use of cheques is outdated due to problems such as bounced cheques, high costs of maintaining the system, inefficiencies and fraud risks. Budget and Finance Committee Chairperson Sosten Gwengwe however urged banks to strengthen their digital platforms to ensure the public is not inconvenienced by the change. Parliament also passed Bill No. 14 of 2026, the Pension (Amendment) Bill, which strengthens the management of unclaimed pension funds. Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamveka said the Bill aligns the Pension Act of 2023 with the Public Finance Management Act of 2022, meaning that any unclaimed money left after a pension fund is wound up, or any unclaimed funds held by trustees, will now be administered under the 2022 Act. He said , the amendment is intended to bring more transparency, accountability and consistency to how unclaimed pension funds are handled. Post navigation 2.6 Million people face hunger , Minister of Finance announces Thyolo secures K2.5 billion development grants after strong LAPA performance