Malawi Immigration Department should be independent – MP Lunguzi
Opposition lawmaker Juliana Lunguzi has suggested that government should let the Immigration Department of the Home Affairs and Internal Security Ministry to be an independent body like Malawi Reveneu Authority (MRA).
Lunguzi, who is Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislature for Dedza East said in parliament that if the Immigration Department is made a independent, “they have the capacity to mobilize more resources. “
She said: “So, as it is in the coming year, we are giving them K1.1 billion yet this is an institution that has the capacity to collect more than K6 billion in a year. If given more resources, they can even double the revenue which, as a country, we are struggling to have.”
Added Lunguzi: “We should listen to the Immigration Department and make it an independent institution just like MRA. If you can agree, the percentage of the revenue they can remit to Account No. 1 will enable them to effectively operate and generate more resources for the country, which we desperately need. If we give them less, they will not be able to function optimally. “
Supporting the calls for the independence of the Immigration Department, MCP member of parliament for Kasungu East, Madalitso Kazombo noted that department is able to generate enough resources and operate efficiently, but because whatever they collect is given to Account No. 1 then they still face a lot of challenges.
“For instance, the whole Northern Region has got one vehicle for operations. With the poor roads that are in the north and the terrain we have, the department needs at least good 4 x 4 vehicles,” Kazombo said.
“Housing is another challenge at the Immigration Department; out of 650 officers they only have 59 houses. This is terrible after 50 years of independence, if Kamuzu rises today I do not think he will be happy, so 650 officers with only 59 houses?” said Kazombo, a relation to founding president Kamuzu Banda.
He also said Immigration Department should be equipped with modern technology.
“There are only three places that have got computers at the department in the country: that is Blantyre in Chileka and Kamuzu International Airport and yet this department is crucial and needs to be computerised,” he said.
Government , through Minister of Lands Atupele Muluzi, standing-in for Home Affairs Minister Jappie Mhango, conceded that the potential for revenue generation is great with Immigration.
“It is therefore, possible for the Immigration Department to generate additional revenue and the matter is under discussion with Treasury,” Muluzi said.
“ They are specifically providing a provision for the Immigration Department to return a certain amount from what they are generating. So certainly this is something that is under discussion between Immigration Department and the Ministry of Finance,” added Muluzi.
Press reports also indicate Immigration Department in the Northern Region has been forced to start issuing provisional travel documents to clients applying for passports due to a shortage of passport books which has hit the office for a long period .
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Gonani…FBI and CIA do not generate revenue.They get their funding from USA government and thats not being independent. Here we are talking a scenario where they should generate revenue and be independent in their operations without depending on goverment funding.Man you are missing the point.
Juliana, on this one you are off pitch. The Immigration is already an independent institution of Malawi Government having been delinked from the Malawi Police Servic. The main focus of the Immigration department is not revenue collection and should not be made to be. The main focus of immigration is facilitating free movement of people, issuing travel permits and promoting socio-security by among other things ensuring the integrity of our borders at land, sea and air ports. Your contributions for the improvement of the immigration should be based along the lines of border control management and socio security of the… Read more »
Typical of a Malawian parliament, always discussing issues that will destroy the already poorly managed country. It is very surprising that this suggestion is coming from a member of parliament, very embarrassing in fact.. I did my civics subject in standard 6 some 20years ago when I was just 11years old and it is from there that I learnt that some government departments can never be independent, one of such department is immigration. It is only recently that I also came to learn that the Malawian Immigration Department is being used as a revenue generating institution rather than controlling and… Read more »
To me the immigration department is not a revenue collector, rather it is a security provider to the nation. As a security provider, there no way a country with a goodwill can make such an institution independent. Let me also say something to this MP, Lunguzi. Malawians expected to see a difference from you among your fellow politicians. But we are disappointed!
Chemwali lunguzi ndiyasagwira kuti immigration ikhale yodzimila pa yokha? due to security threats the world is going through maka malawi pa ma threats malawi in the world in HIGH WARNING, Now these days people are corrupt so as our immigration officers hence can make it porous by being independent… mukayang`ana maiko amene immigration ili payonkha mupeza kuli corrupt free…. nde isakhale independe if this is so nde muyike MBC/TV Independe muone…. its just the same
Apparently I overrated this MP.
Dear MP, you are making dangerous suggestions. You will do well to seek for advise and see how other successful countries do things in terms of immigration governance. Immigration department as independent body is certainly a turn in the wrong direction. Dear MP research to find out why and some comments here will give you a good idea!!!
MRA is not independent; it is somehow effective in collecting revenue.Immigration department’s job should not be focused to collecting revenue as cited by the MP. There is Security, special holding prison for illegal immigrants,looking at the Act and correcting areas where there are loopholes especially on work permits, resident permits etc. If the focus is now on revenue generation, the all the other issues will be compromised.
Immigration can not be independent bcoz it is one of the security department of the government. NO where in the world is this department independent.Those who are advocating this shows that they are iginorant and dont even know how immigration works.proper research is needed. Aphungu enawa ndi mbulitu. Ine ndi wa MCP koma sindingatenge za mayi Lunguzi thats no sense.
MISCER, Do you know that FBI and CIA are independent entities? However they are the most effective American tools for fighting all kinds of threat USA could face. Think man!
The best way to deal with the problem of money is technology.Majority of people in Malawi have a mobile phone with Internet access on it. Other countries in Africa have embraced technology in their Passport issuing and payments. If they can make sure that all payments are done online or else use the post office for people to make payments through postal orders, it will give them room that they will be less people at their offices. On the housing issue, our government should encourage it’s employees to own their own houses, so grants should be in place for long… Read more »