International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director, Naoyuki Shinohara, has backed the automatic fuel pricing mechanism (APM) currently being followed in Malawi, says it was helping government save resources for use in other essential services.

Government has been asked to established a semi-autonomous mining authority body with the mandate to issue mining licenses and negotiate development agreements with investors.

State-run grain marketer, Admarc, has started buying maize from local farmers but has puzzled the market by offering higher prices for the grain compared to the price at which it is selling the same to consumers.

Government has stepped up its mining campaign, with the latest being courting of eastern and southern African mining investors through a mining conference held in Tanzania last week.

Finance Minister Ken Lipenga has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other cooperating partners to consider pouring additional financial resources into the country to help stabilise the rocking economic boat.

Blantyre water consumers will have to dig deeper in their pocket from this month end as Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has announced an increase in water tariffs.

Malawi's trade with United States of America in the first two months this year registered total volume of US$13.8 million (about K5.7 billion) with Malawi's exports to world's the largest economy at US$8.5 million (about K3.2 billion).

The Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) says the Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme-Malawi project (RCIPMW) connectivity transaction will reduce the internet and broadband connection fees to about US$500 per megabyte per second per month.

Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) on Friday commissioned a new water pumping plant on Mzimba River giving hope of sustained supply of quality water to people around Mzimba boma.

Government has appointed Meg Kajiyanike as the deputy governor responsible for operations at the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM).

Government has scheduled to construct a state-of-the-art international airport at Chileka to replace the old one.

Civil rights activist Rafiq Hajat says the country is losing about US$1 billion annually from the mining sector through smuggling of precious stones.

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) says it will soon start installing electronic fiscal devices (EFDs) in all shops that qualify to be remitting Value Added Tax (Vat) across the country.

Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) under National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (Nasme) Mwanza branch have asked government to act promptly on interest rates, which are likely to cripple small businesses.

Finance Minister Ken Lipenga said International Monetary Fund (IMF) tax experts will be guiding his ministry on the tax regime changes that will be implemented in the 2013/14 national budget.

The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) says it expects the local currency, the kwacha, to continue being under pressure this year, a development which will see it continuing to lose ground against major trading currencies.

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) says Malawians are feeling the pinch of a decision to float the Kwacha against major international currencies because the decision was delayed for so long.

Local hospitality giant, Sunbird Tourism Limited, has reported a 10 percent increase in it's after tax profit for the year ended December 31, 2012 despite a difficult economic environment that prevailed in the country during the year.

Long-serving Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) deputy governor Mary Nkosi retires from the central bank tomorrow after 10 years of service that saw her working under four governors and three heads of state.

The Society of Accountants in Malawi (Socam) and the Malawi Confederations of Chambers of Commerce (MCCCI) have called for a review of the farm input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) which they argue is fueling a dependency syndrome among Malawians.