Malawi’s NBS Bank offers digital tools to local councils
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Malawi Voice
Malawian bank NBS Bank is offering local councils digital solutions for revenue collection, secure payments and cash management. Its official Alfred Nhlema said decentralisation should be measured by the services and changes delivered to communities, according to remarks at the annual meeting of the local government association.
Malawian commercial bank NBS Bank plc is offering local councils digital and banking solutions to improve revenue collection, liquidity management and payment security. Its chief wholesale banking officer, Alfred Nhlema, made the offer on 29 October 2026 in Blantyre, during the 20th annual general meeting of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Malawi (MALGA), according to Malawi Voice.
The bank is considering digital revenue collection tools, secure payment systems and responsible financing mechanisms. Nhlema said fiscal decentralisation should be assessed based on the results councils deliver for people, rather than solely on the resources transferred to them.
Natural Resources Minister Patricia Wiskes said local authorities continued to face revenue challenges, staff shortages, an infrastructure deficit and growing demand for public services. She asked councils to demonstrate the value of every kwacha spent in communities. NBS Bank’s offer comes after the creation of a network to accelerate public reforms, announced in Malawi on 28 October.
