Malawi lose out on K80bn EU aid as Dec 31 ATI ultimatum expires
Malawi has finally lost out an K80 billion European Union aid package after the government failed to pass the Access to Information Bill (ATI) whose deadline is expiring midnight on December 31, 2015.
Minister of Information Jappie Mhango echoed President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday that government will not be pushed to pass the bill.
“The government will not be pushed into taking this bill to parliament. The government wants a good law and will pass this bill into law at an appropriate time,” stated the Minister.
“ Don’t push us too much, give us space to do a thorough job, we are doing our best,” said Mhango.
A few weeks ago, Mutharika said he would not work under pressure because of ultimatums.
The powerful media owners, including Zodiak managing director Gospel Kazako, Times Group managing director Leonard Chikadya, Nation Publications Limited chief executive officer Mbumba Banda and Capital Radio owner Al Osman gave Mutharika an ultimatum on the bill.
Kazako said on Wednesday the media would not relent in pushing for the bill passed into law.
“We are not impressed with the way the government has handled this but we will continue to campaign, lobbying and requesting the government to take the bill to parliament,” he said.
National Media Institute for Southern Africa (Namisa) president Thom Khanje urged Malawians to rise up and demand the law, saying Malawians have a right to make this demand because it’s them who voted this government into power.
“If we let this government [scot free] , they will not bring the bill to parliament,” said Khanje in an interview with Zodiak on Wednesday.
Donors have also said they will not release withheld aid if the bill is not passed into law, among other key factors.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Sapitwa,again showing a typical selfish dpp supporter’s I don’t care attitude with no concern about the sufferings of the majority of Malawians.
If this stupid clueless govt of yours hadn’t made promises on the ATI bill being passed within the outgoing parliament,we wouldn’t be in this situation arguing left right and centre.
An opportunity has been missed for the people of Malawi’s sufferings to have been eased abit with the 80bn which donors could have given us, the begging people.
DPP Stands for Dont Pressurise President
Peter Mutharika ndi munthu wa mtima wozizira ngati chitherere chogona chadzulu. Apa upulezidenti ndiye tidabetsa.
THUS DPP
We can’t say we lost K80b because we didn’t have it in the first place. There was no any transaction that transferred the money from the Donor to account 1 and later demanded back through a reversal.
We have therefore lost nothing and we are not at any pressure of anything.
Let’s face it. The Ati bills is a foundation for more transparency what happens in our government!
With this “Hide and Seek” approach government is playing us and the donors, transparency is compromised! First of all, we Malawiens and Donors need to know where the their tax money is/was going ! I guess this is all about, and have only secondary to do with pressur, ultimatum… If money gets stolen, we and the donors need to know! Delaying of the bill will help none of us, except the one in power!
executive arrogance
When DPP got its presidential seat the Kwacha was K415 to a dollar. Now its about K800, but my salary hasn’t changed. I will forgive DPP for refuting this aid if the cost of living was cut by 50 percent. Otherwise, refusing to pass the bill which Pitala promised to table in the last parliament seating shows the Other Kahuna is afraid of something. Imagine people pushing for expenditure at State Residence!
Jappie and Muthalika donors have made you catch fart (kugwira chiphwisi). Why? Because you bend laws to condon homosexuality activities in the country and still you do not get the 80 billion MK aid. We told you dont be fooled but you did not believe now see who is the fool? Ha ha A jappie?
What a nonsense,you say you cannot be pushed to pass the ATI bill,yet you have recently succumbed to suspend a filthy law of Homosexuals.