Malawi’s first-ever Infrastructure Transparency Index has exposed major accountability gaps in public infrastructure projects, with the country scoring 25.41 percent, far below the global average of 43.07 percent, raising concerns over governance, corruption and donor confidence.

The index was launched in Lilongwe yesterday by the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative Malawi and the Construction Industry Registration Authority, under the global Infrastructure Transparency Initiative, which Malawi joined in 2008 to improve openness in public construction projects.

The report shows that despite Malawi having strong transparency laws -reflected by a high Enabling Environment score of 78.20 percent- implementation remains weak, with poor disclosure of project data, limited digital systems and low citizen participation.

Construction Sector Transparency Initiative Malawi Chairperson, Engineer Samuel Biton, warned that low transparency threatens public trust and donor support but said the index provides a clear reform pathway.

“This score shows that while our laws are strong, enforcement is weak. Transparency is critical for maintaining donor confidence and improving value for money in infrastructure delivery,” said Biton.

He said the findings will guide reforms through the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative Malawi Multi-Stakeholder Group, which includes the Office of the Director of Public Procurement, the Buildings Department, the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Department of Statutory Corporations.

The others are civil society organisations such as the Malawi Economic Justice Network, the Human Rights Consultative Committee, the Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi, the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship, the National Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi Chapter, and private-sector bodies including the Malawi Building and Civil Engineering Allied Traders Association.

Construction Industry Registration Authority Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Gerard Khonje, described the report as a milestone that will support evidence-based decision-making in the construction sector.

“This index gives us credible data to improve oversight, project management and economic outcomes in infrastructure development,” said Khonje.

Guest of honour and governance expert Mavuto Bamusi said corruption, inequality and limited access to information remain key obstacles contributing to Malawi’s low score.

“Without tackling corruption and unequal access to infrastructure information, transparency reforms will have limited impact,” said Bamusi.

The report also assessed the use of digital platforms such as the Information Platform for Public Infrastructure, a government-linked portal developed with the National Construction Industry Council and the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship, which allows procuring entities to publish project data and respond to citizen feedback. However, uptake remains low.

The report recommends strengthening institutional capacity, mandatory publication of project data, wider use of digital platforms and increased citizen participation to improve accountability in public infrastructure projects.