New minister pushes for a results-driven culture to tackle Malawi’s key economic pain points

By The Forum

There’s a new sheriff in town, and staffers at the newly created Ministry of Industrialization, Business, Trade and Tourism got a glimpse of the direction their work is expected to take as George Partridge, the minister in charge, reported for duty on Thursday, two days after being sworn in.

Partridge called for a performance-oriented ministry that delivers tangible results to improve the lives of Malawians. Speaking in Lilongwe during a briefing with senior management, he urged a cultural shift toward accountability and measurable impact.

“Expectations are many out there. Malawians need to see change. The private sector wants to see change. But for that to happen, we need to change the way we do things,” he said. “We must adopt a results and output-based approach, set measurable targets, and work toward realizing Malawi 2063.”

Welcomed by Secretary for Industrialization, Business, Trade and Tourism Wiskes Nkombezi, Partridge said President Peter Mutharika renamed the ministry to highlight its central role in driving economic growth.

Partridge, a former banking executive, seems intent on bringing boardroom discipline into government service. After viewing a management presentation, Partridge said he appreciated ongoing efforts but questioned why results were not visible on the ground. He then mentioned a pragmatic framework he dubbed the “4Fs” — food, forex, fuel, and fertilizer — as the ministry’s focal points.

“Our duty is to ensure that Malawi tackles the 4Fs by creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive: for existing industries, exporters, and new ventures alike. I’m counting on each one of you to help achieve that,” he said.

The former bank CEO encouraged innovation, saying no one would be penalized for proposing new ideas that make systems work better.

President Mutharika said he appointed Partridge after being impressed by his insights during a 2018 international conference in London, where Partridge spoke about regional economic cooperation under COMESA.

Although the new ministry combines four distinct areas — industry, business, trade, and tourism — Mutharika noted they are deeply interlinked and expressed confidence that Partridge’s experience will strengthen the nation’s economic backbone, especially in addressing one of the 4Fs: foreign exchange.