CHRR faults ‘insesitive’ pay hike: Malawi MPs urged to reject salary increase
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has described the recent government’s move to hike President, Vice President, and Cabinet and MPs salaries as insensitive in view of the prevailing political and economic crisis.
CHRR executive director Timothy Mtambo indicated that the recent salary increments by the cabinet and parliamentarians are an insult and mockery to Malawians.
“The recent salary increments of the President, Vice President, Cabinet and MPs are an insult and mockery to Malawians who have time and again been made to believe by the same government that it has no money to cater for similar demands as is the case in the current judiciary saga and others.
“What we see is of a government that is not ready to walk the austerity talk which it is ironically forcing on all Malawians to embrace. Government is just being too insensitive with the current mess. The President and the cabinet seem to be living in their own world different from the rest of us” said outspoken Mtambo.
Mtambo added that the general public expectation was for the government to first solve the current economic turmoil before even start thinking of its own plight.
“The increments are unjustifiable and shows how hypocritical our government has become especially coming from the same government that is failing to live up to the public expectation as evident in its continued failure to resolve the current crisis. Why should we reward failure? “
Mtambo said Mutharika administration has a daunting task to first resolve the current mess including the salary increments demands by various stakeholders before even thinking about rewarding its ‘failure’.
“This only signals lack of transformational leadership in the current leadership, which is regrettable,” argued the CHRR boss.
The outspoken human rights activist further described the huge increments of parliamentarian’s salaries as a political tool to silence any critical voice from.
“At CHRR, we view the huge MPs increments as a mere political tool by the current regime to appease members of Parliament especially those in the opposition to shut up, and be sympathetic to the government in the midst of the current political and economic hardships rocking the country. It’s an attempt to silence their critical voice”.
Mtambo then called upon members of the parliament to rise up and reject such increments
“Our expectation is for the members of Parliament especially the opposition to rise up and reject such increments in the general interest of all Malawians, and also to reflect the current context.”
Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) secretary general Pontius Kalichero has also expressed worry with the development, saying it is unfair to all civil servants.
The activists have since called on the MPs and the opposition to rise up and reject such increments in the general interest of all Malawians and also to reflect the current context.
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Unfortunately the ones who pay taxes do not get such increases so that the public can benefit from them because the more they earn the more tax they pay and the more the general public benefit. I think we should start taxing these stupid manipulators starting from the president down to councillors because they are taking Malawians for a ride
think of poor but hardworking Malawians otherwise God will punish you & you will finish like curtains.
Ziri bwino o o… Naaabola moyo o…..when JZU was hard on gvt pple said he was bad. LC is soft he is bad too. You will solve it yourself
A Mtambo ndiye ndinu a chitsirudi munthu wopanda nzeru garu wa keeeee weni weni. Ndimayesa ma MP womwewo ndi amene anachita propose za ma salary ndiye ukuganiza kuti akana bwanji. Kumafunsa a chitsiru inu osamangoyankhula ngati woduka mutu, the president has nothing to do with salaries he can not fight and shoot down the demand of 193 plus people or ukanakhala iweyo ukanatani garu iwe.
I think Peter is playing with Malawians,what i see now is realy shocking,he is trying to silence everybody in his government(mps & ministers,) Chakwera will do nothing bcz he is also part of the weak opposition being bought with public funds.My request to all Civil Servants is to down tools until this mess is soughted out.Peter must go if we want to see Malawi being mentioned again otherwise this country will be a desert soon.
How can a poor MP of Malawi reject such increament. U r just wasting donors’ fund for nothing & u are getting a huge sum every year without being audited. Shut up ur mouth Mtambo.
mp wake uti,?
The president should not bluff Malawians. He was and is all in support of this selfish mess by Malawian pigs (mps) and malpractitioners (ministers). Indeed he is buying their support as he did with journalists. He is also indirectly milking the nation in allowances and benefits. They all have nothing to do with the well being of this nation. If things are not affordable for them, what more with the civil servant, the rural poor, the poor urban dweller, the jobless? They just want to swim in luxuries, buy expensive cars and build huge houses. Non-God fearing people, no love… Read more »
How can they reject while they are the same people who approved it? Do you really think? Or you want to paint them white? Ask Kabwira or Chakwera they will tell you they passed the budget knowing that they have something in it. Ma CSOs reps aku Malawi please think. Use your head and not your ….
Mtambo…you get hefty donor funds in the common trust of serving the vulnerable Malawians against having their rights violated amongst other objectives. But why you only give jobs to fellow Tumbukas from the North ? Why u do not subject your organisation to audit? Why u don’t declare your perks to the same public u claim to represent? You are the number hypocrite more than APM u always accuse day in day out.