Bingu blows US$337,000 on foreign trip
As the Malawi economy continues to suffocate due to an acute forex shortage, President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika has drawn US$337,000 for his trip to Italy, Trinidad and Tobago as well as Spain.
The money has been drawn on government accounts at National Bank, cleared through the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Nyasa Times understands.
A source at the Government Treasury has told Nyasa Times that the President has been excessive in drawing such a huge amount especially considering the forex shortage in the country.
“US$337,000 has been drawn by the President to cover the trip and his entrounge and this is unprecedented in such difficult forex shortage times,” said the well-placed source.
Mutharika left the country on Sunday for Rome, Italy to attend the World Food summit organized by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
On departure, President Mutharika disclosed that from Rome, he will proceed to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago for this year’s Commonwealth Summit.
The Commonwealth is a grouping mainly of countries formerly colonized by the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II is the symbolic head of the multi-national organization.
The President left in the new presidential jet which has been purchased at the price of about US$15 million. This transaction, however, is shrouded in secrecy.
Finance Minister Ken Kandodo could not comment on any of these matters, nor would new Secretary to the Treasury, Joseph Mwanamvekha, until recently Chairman of the president’s Mulhako wa Alhomwe ethnic organization.
Musayiwale kuti na Ngwazitu amenewa. Zonse zimene mizigwirizana ku DPP ko ife tigwirizana nazo. Angwazi woyeee!
Say ‘ine’ not ife. How many people are you in that light and worthless club?
Akunama unene kuti ‘ife’ osati ‘ine’. Iwe Chikhamu, can’t you see that his/her (Kalasa’s) comment shows that s/he is against this practice of agreeing with everything?
Malawi like a lot of African countries need to understand the political system that we find ourselves in. Democracy is not a one size fits all.
We cannot have a parliamentary and presidential system all in one and then expect our leaders to be kept in check when the whole system gives the president carte blanche!
Bingu should be present in parliment to defend his actions and to gain approval for actions before he acts on them – thats a true parliamentary system thats true democratic accountability.
The way malawi govt operates, by all rights and purposes Bingu should be a prime minister not this mess we are operating under!
There is a reason the ‘first world’ has this in check – US – presidential system, Uk, Italy, France -parliamentary systems – ndani ali ndi parliamentary + presidential combo?! African states! And we wonder why all the political chaos?
Bingu is doing what the system allows him to unfortunately the country is suffering right now – hard working people are going out of business because they cant trade theres no forex. THis is very sad that so much money would be externalized in this time of crisis.
Pls advise Bingu that any government’s survival lies in the hands of the business people, if the business community is left out in your decision making process then you are slowly walking towards a stone wall.Convince people like chair, Tembo, a mwenye to invest at home, these guys are filthy rich and they can employ all those unemployed malawians if they are happy with your conditions, remember the 20:80 rule in economics, the economy of the nation is in the hands of 20% of the population and 80% is just a pool of servants of the rich few. So plz appease them they have banked and stacked a lot of wealth out side that country.Other wise expect the worst!plz nyasa times publish my comment am a regular visitor to your website.
abingu plz check midzimu muli uphawi wabasi instead of wasting govt money
So at least we agree that Bingu has become a bad president? I thought you said I was wrong? Mwaona mochedwa…… munthu uyu ngosayamika ….. anambwatalika UDF itamupatsa u State President. Mumufunse Muluzi alije na mata yayi. Bingu ni meeeee!!!!