As Malawi prepares for crucial talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) next week, economists have issued a stark warning: securing another bailout package will mean little if the country fails to address the policy failures, fiscal indiscipline and economic mismanagement that derailed previous agreements. The warning comes ahead of a high-stakes IMF mission scheduled to visit Malawi from June 9 to 18 to discuss a possible new Extended Credit Facility (ECF), a programme that could unlock desperately needed financial support and restore confidence in an economy battling soaring inflation, crippling foreign exchange shortages and a ballooning debt burden. [...]