The World Bank has advised Treasury to carefully manage increased expenditure pressures ahead of the fresh presidential election this year to avoid incurring a huge deficit.

According to The Nation newspaper, World Bank’s country manager Greg Toulmin, said that Malawi is already facing a challenge, that is to achieve the budgeted fiscal deficit of K155.9 billion or 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the 2019/20 financial year hence, the need to strengthen fiscal discipline.

Last week, a five-judge panel of the High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court nullified the May 21 2019 presidential election due to irregularities, therefore calling for fresh presidential election in 150 days from February 3.