Major says MPs will boycott Malawi parliament meeting over allowances
Members of parliament have threatened to boycott the mid year review sitting of parliament on Monday unless the National Assembly gives them K2 million allowance for each legislator in advance.
However, parliament says there is no way the allowance can be disbursed before the members of parliament report for duties.
At a meeting on Tuesday, over 50 members of parliament agreed not to report to parliament on Monday if allowances are not deposited in their bank accounts by this Friday.
Chairman of Parliament’s Social Welfare Committee, Alex Major, confirmed the MPs would only attend the parliamentary business only if allowances are deposited in the bank accounts by Friday for the Monday meeting.
“The honourable members need the money to buy fuel from their respective constituencies to Lilongwe. They will need the money for food as soon as they arrive in Lilongwe,” he said.
However, National Assembly spokesperson Leonard Mengezi said allowances are paid on the first day of seating of parliament.
“Parliament can only give allowances to members of parliament who are present and this can only be done on Monday after they have registered. Parliament cannot just give out allowances even to honourable members who are not present for one reason or another,” he said.
The MPs get K50000 each legislator for each day parliament is meeting.
This mid year review meeting is expected to last for four weeks, therefore each legislator is expected to get K2 million for the whole period.
Major must be invested on his academic qualifications. Normally it is JC holders who make such kind of unwarranted demands so that they miss proceedings while they attend to their personal businesses when they have already pocketed the allowances. Clerk of Parliament and team please show some seriousness – MPs must be paid on daily basis, not in advance as if they are going to conduct business outside the country. That is another form of cashgate. I will rule Gambia for 1 billion years while some MPs will be voted out in 2019 for immorality and poor performance.
These MPs dont have common senses at all….
kkkkk! People in the village are starving with hunger while the are enjoying money
Hypocrites ! Others in Government go months without salary. If they go for workshop it’s full board so what is this nonsense. My MP for Mzimba whatever ….Mr Makwenda l expect you to be honorable enough to be there. Go there and discuss maize gate, drug shortage, poor roads, inflation not personal interests. After all azikupatsani mukatha session daily tone ngati mungajombe
Why do the MPs get sitting allowances when they are also on salary? Are they some sort of board members for parliament? This a duplication of compensation. Learn form our Tanzania neighbor, president Magafuli, who told off his MPs: Choose between a salary or allowances because you cannot have both! They chose salaries.. After all these MPs are rarely in house, the same applies to our ministers.
Mute, I agree with you! Why should MPs be paid an allowance of K50 000 a day in addition to their salaries for doing their jobs? Does it make sense? And many of them never attend parliamentary sessions! Can newspapapers and radio/TV stations keep a daily attendance register on these hypocrites and report to the nation? We need to know those that are really attending to their jobs and the dead woods! Now I understand why baboons or monkeys in a group are called ‘a parliament of baboons/monkeys’!
Just cancel the midyear budget review as no benefits will accrue from it. Cashgate has already depleted the coffers
Ma MP mbuzi za anthu. You are busy siphoning money from government coffers through the useless parliamentary inquiry. It was established that no money was lost. What then do you want to prove with the prolonged inquiry. Don’t you think the K500 million you have eaten so far could have been better used to buy medicines for our hospitals? Kongelesi tulo, kupha ndi kuononga
This is why Malawi is poor. Its because of Allowances. What do they do, sleeping. Nothing is agreed in the parliament. Important issues are not done. Eg. ACB and MEC these are most Important issues of the nation. Norwagian embassy has questioned Allowances. Its so huge Allowances Malawians get. Is it better they get high salary. Most Malawians live or get more in Allowances than salaries. Everytime they go abroad just for Allowances sake and meetings out of offices Allowances. Why can they not have meetings in conference room in the same building? Because get food money too. U see they are greedy people in Malawi. NO way Malawi can develope. There is so much wrong doing in This nation. All Malawians contribute to the poverty of This nation. Only Kamuzu Banda loved Malawi.
This clearly shows what kind of MPs we have . Their interest is in money and nothing else .They are paid monthly salaries . Did they not budget for the trip to parliament which they very well knew was coming. Once at parliament then, they will get their allowances which will replace what they spent. Koma kufuna kuzilemeletsa at the expence of the nation. Calculation ya Mk 2000,000.oo ikuchokera pati ? If what they get is sitting allowance at the rate of Mk 50,000 per day; Is two weeks now translating to 40 days?
Do we in malawi need a parliament after all , seriously !? ofcourse we need to make rules and laws to govern ourselves but of what use are these laws when its tripple clear that they are applied selectively ?all animals would believe that all animals are equal but search me ! arguably , some animals are more equal than others , malawi case ! no wonder allowances first budget second laws third !…..koma yaaaa ! sweet home sweet !
Tikufuna Ndalama tikasanzike, mwaiwala? Njalayi anthu akugona mkhonde kwa mp kufuna chakudya, drugs, ambulance etc. Mukuti Ndalama tikazitenga kuti??? Tathawa Ku constituency anthu kuvuta, kufuna ma handout daily.
Ambiri mukuyankhula ndinu musaukitsa ma MP. Kupempha too much. Alekeni alandire Ndalama zawo.
I find merit in the threat by MPs not to attend the Parliamentary sitting if their allowances are not paid. I need to be schooled what the allowances are for. If they are subsistence and fuel allowances, then they have to be paid in advance so they can use them for travel and meals and accommodation. But if they are sitting allowances, then they should be paid at the end of each day of sitting. But then, if they are subsistence allowances, why pay them to each and every MP, even those whose homes are around Lilongwe City. I am talking of MPs in the city and Cabinet Ministers whom the government houses within Lilongwe? Bwanji kuzolowera allowancegate a Malawi?
They want in advance and not attend The session. These are animals in natural. Where have they heard one is paid before u report to work? Please use your brain stupid people. All work is paid after one has done The job. I know This is What Malawians do. I am surprised the labourers always ask to be given money or part of the money before they start work. Builders are worse. Where I come from u get paid at The end of the day. One can ask for advance but little. Why not buy fuel come to parlament show receipt and money refunded. Thats What we do in Europe. Those who dont come dont give them any money give them a penalty for failing to attend parliamentary session. Because they are bound to attend. Its their job not business. They have NO same to say This when millions of Malawians are starving.
Boycott proceedings dishonourable MP Major. Allowances are paid for attending. I know you. You want to get the money and disappear. Chidziwa n’chipande poomola come May 2019. What kind of MP are you.
Mengezi is right. MPs only get allowances when they report for parliament. Please also ensure you pay them daily i.e. each time they attend. Some of them just pocket the money and leave. I have not seen Masangwi attending parliament or contributing anything.
matsiku osiliza anthu azakhala okonda ndalama siizi
If indeed the MPs stand is true, then this is a very misguided and irresponsible committee of parliament. How do you expect to receive allowances while you are in the comfort of your homes? What would happen if you don’t come? Are you going to refund the money? How about the days you don’t go to parliament after pocketing the allowances?
And we know that most of you do not even stay in your constituency as you would want us to believe. Your own people cant remember the last time they saw their MP. You stay in and around Lilongwe. This country is going through a myriad of problem and please give us a break for once.
And use of intimidatory language is also uncalled for. If you boycott the sitting, so what? With or without your presence in parliament we don’t see the difference.
Please Mr. MP and your Committee, try to be exemplary for once and act responsibly
January SPARES NOBODY
Hey as far as my calculation goes…Four weeks equal to 20 working days and 20×50000 =mk1000000. not mk2000,000?? mind you MP’s never work during weekends. However if this is true about k2000000 seating allowances then this is another Parliament cash gate. Tichedwaponso pamenepa.
MP MAJOR, DISO NGATI MOTO APUMAKO ZOONA EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Singati dzokhadzokha dzoba chimanga dzija. mxxxxxxxxxxxxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
As far as allowances are needed before Parliament resumes, our honorable members of parliament do not attend all the days. Whom do you think would speak on behalf of us the poor? This is stealing from us Malawians. During campaign you promised to support us but when we watch TV we see empty seats in parliament deliberations when parliament resume. So the National Assembly Spokesperson has good and valid justification. Don’t only love to receive the allowances but also love your country by serving it with passion. Mudzatifuna nthawi yovota and that is why the majority do not make it to the second term. Tikuwonatu!!! Every vote count. Have you forgotten that? As ajawo anzanu aja adagwa aja kuti akumva bwanji? Ankachitatu zomwezi lero ali kuti?
If the MPs daily allowance is MWK50000, four weeks’ allowance will translate to MWK1,500,000 (MWK50,000 x 30day). How do you explain the difference. Please dont be in hurry to publish stories with loose ends.
The difference could be fuel allowances
KUNALI BWINONSO TIKANAKHALA OPANDA MA MP.PHINDU LAKE SINDILIWONA.
WHO CARES IF YOU DO NOT GO . IF YOU GO OR NOT NOTHING CHANGES.
LOOK AT HIM
This MP akuoneka wa chamba, maso kufira choncho!!!
I don`t understand the mathematics used here of each MP pocketing MK2million for 4 weeks. School me guys because I feel there is allowancegate here. The 4 weeks mentioned here means 20 working days and even if I include 6 or 8 days of weekends, my calculation is very far below from the MK2million for each member. Chabwino idyakoni nanunso ngati Chaponda ndi Mulumbe koma tikuyang`ana ndi chidwi ndithu.
Abale Malawi yapita ndi madzi.Zoona MP amene akufunira constituency yake zabwino angathamangire ma allowance osati kutumikila anthu ake.I feel we need to be serious and responsible people.Chimanga tibe,china chilichose pa Malawi ndi …….gate.Kodi tikuzifunira ziiiti abale.Watch out Mr honourables.Heavens are watching u.