Mutharika challenged on cashleak: Begs for UK aid

President Peter Mutharika has been challenged  to provide objective  evidence that the Public Finance Management (PFM) System, through which public officers stole K20 billion of taxpayers’ money, has been strengthened to avoid cashleak.

President Mutharika:  Donors shifting goal postst
President Mutharika: Donors shifting goal postst

The looting of public resources at Capital Hill, dubbed cashgate, forced development partners to withhold their budgetary support to Malawi. Donors provide 40 percent of Malawi’s budget.

The Malawi leader on Monday October 27  told the British High Commissioner Michael Nevin that his administration has made a lot of progress to address concerns that led to the suspension of aid.

But the British High Commissioner is said to have argued that the Britain cannot resume disbursing budgetary support because Lilongwe has not given London objective evidence that it has sealed what Germany envoy  once called “leaking bucket.”in the  Public Finance Management system.

And  Malawi’s flagship daily newspaper, The Nation in its editorial comment on Tuesday October 28 said unless Capital Hill demonstrates that it has cleaned up its mess, “we do not see budgetary support returning soon.”

The paper also pointed out  that much more must have been stolen as well between 2005 and 2009; hence “our support to development partners who are pushing for a forensic audit that dates backs to 2005.”

“While we have no reason to doubt the President’s sincerity in stating that loopholes have been sealed, we have decided to use ‘the trust, but verify’ approach on this issue. Can the President give us evidence that PFM system has been strengthened?

“This is a fundamental question that must be answered because it is not just donors that are demanding this proof; Malawian taxpayers too. We suspect that if it were up to Malawians, most of them would have told government the exact things donors, in this case, Britain, have siad. We will not pay taxes until you put your house in order and unless we have confidence that our hard-earned money will not continue to enrich a crooked few while impoverishing the rest

“Unfortunately, this is not possible and Malawians have to suffer in silence,” reads the comment in part.

Donor urged Malawi to carry out public finance management reforms, pursue cashgate suspects, guarantee the independence of the criminal justice system and to change leadership of some oversight and accountability institutions and provide more resources to them.

Mutharika is of the view that the donors, such as UK, are shifting goal posts since government had fulfilled all the conditions they set for the resumption of aid.

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Nkwanda Wilson
Nkwanda Wilson
9 years ago

MY FELLOW MALAWIANS,LET’S STOP PAYING TAXES TO GOVT, UNTIL M’BOMAMU ANTHU ENA AWASINTHE, KUSOLOLA KWACHULUKA ZEDI. TOO MUCH TAXES IMPOSED ON US,JUST FANCY PAYE 15% +30% =45% THIS IS ONLY FOR SALARY ABOVE MK20,000. VAT 16.5% PAYABLE ON GROCERIES ETC. PLEASE COMPUTE 45%+16.5%=61.5%. THIS SIMPLY IMPLIES THAT GOVT TAKES AWAY 61.5% OF OUR EARNINGS AND MALAWIANS REMAIN WITH ONLY 38.5%. THIS IS WHY THERE IS ABJECT POVERTY IN MALAWI. MAY I ALSO REMIND MALAWIANS THAT WE ARE RANKED AS THE 8TH POOREST NATION ON THE CONTINENT ACCORDING TO RESEARCH CONDUCTED ELSEWHERE. MALAWIANS THERE IS TOO MUCH ABUSE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES… Read more »

JAYJAY
9 years ago

The british are right,i feel if we could stop paying taxes and see who will suffer most.ife umphawi tinauzowela koma awa wofuna kubawa athawamo mu boma mopanda ndalama zoti aziba.If the present state ,the president still takes unnecessary people on board in his foreign travels,do you think he cares about Malawi.He is there to steal basi.

chiperoni2
chiperoni2
9 years ago

My President why are you failing to retrieve the billions the croocks are holding mokakamiza at the expense of a poor malawian? If you fail to do it and instead continue living extavantly who will feel sorry for you? Now you want the very poor to be sucked of their hard earned money so that you and your honourables waste it. Please overhaul the FMS if this country is to progress.

nachiduku jb is back with blackmails!!
nachiduku jb is back with blackmails!!
9 years ago

I WILL WRITE THIS IN ENGLISH 4 THE SO CALLED DONORS TO READ:WITH OR WITHOUT DONOR AID MALAWIANS WONT CEASE TO BE MALAWIANS.WE WILL STILL BE CALLED MALAWIANS THOUGH POOR/POOREST.I QUOTE LATE GENIUS WHOSE SPIRIT IS REFUSING TO REST/DIE:”MALAWI IS NOT POOR BUT MALAWIANS ARE.”MY PRESIDENT:LEAVE MALAWIANS IN THEIR CURRENT STATE FOR IDONT THINK UA THEIR SLAVE,URE DOING THAT TO SERVE US NOT UASELF. LETS JUST WAIT 4 MADAM JB WHEN SHE COMES BACK LET HER EXPLAIN TO MALAWIANS WHILE IN JAIL BEING WHIPPED HARDLY WHAT LIES HAVE BEEN SAID TO BRITAIN.LET HER FACE THE MUSIC.U MAY BE A HERO… Read more »

Chilungamo Chimawawa
Chilungamo Chimawawa
9 years ago

Don’t give money to this idiotic government. they just want to steal the money as they used to during Bingu Wa Mutharika regime. Let them investigate and report on 92 billion kwacha missing money first

no
no
9 years ago

Eish what is APM doing now??? akukanyengelera ndalama kwa azungu!!! Black man, once a beggar always a beggar…

Phwitiko
Phwitiko
9 years ago

No one is rejoicing as one comment asserts. Malawians are annoyed & angry with politicians who have taken citizens for a ride. It is only a naive & unpatriotic person that would support DPP, PP, UDF & MCP to steal donor & our toiled taxpayers money unless you are hardcore DPP that has a blue heart & reasoning. No one is happy if a government that stole votes is in problems since all Malawians will suffer. But donors are doing a good job which we Malawians should have been doing. Ku vota uku tsika lina tizavotera Mfiti mu boma zedi!

Mbowe Mulambia
9 years ago

There is something hiden here as long as DPP is in government malawi will not have aid. DPP are real cuprits of cashgates donors have that information

BigMan
BigMan
9 years ago
Reply to  Mbowe Mulambia

So why did they withdraw the aid when PP was in power?

nyoko
nyoko
9 years ago

NKHANITU MR PETER YAGONA 2005-2009 cashgt K90 billion INANKA KUTI? I THINK KWA AMENE TIKUITSATA NKHANIYI MA DONA AKUTANTHAUZA CHONCHO,SO ITS UP 2 U FOLLOW BACK OR NOT

Lazarus Kaliza
Lazarus Kaliza
9 years ago

Kodi Malawi ndi wandani? Zimandidabwitsa anthu akamayankhula ngati ndi munda wa Peter. Britain sikufuna kuthandiza ngakhale tipange bwanji mumva akunenanso zina.

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