Malawi opposition say budget ‘mish-mash’: Donors disagree with Goodall on aid
Spokesperson of finance for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Kusamba Dzonzi has described Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe‘s Budget as “a mish-mash of recycled announcements” that will not translate into any gains for poor Malawian.
He said Malawi needed a people’s budget rather than one with random promises.
Dzonzi said the 2018/19 financial blueprint which has been pegged at K1.5 trillion is promising paradise but cautioned that it will hurt Malawians in the long run.
“My prayer is that our colleagues in government will not eat into the purchasing power, because no one will be safe. This budget will give us hell; it is just a wish list,” he said.
Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament chairperson Rhino Chiphiko, who is also MCP legislator, bemoaned the fact that government has allocated funds to institutions and activities that don’t generate growth or development to the country.
While spokesperson on finance for People’s Party (PP) in Parliament John Chikalimba wondered why government has allocated billions of funds to non-priority areas.
Chikalimba, who is legislator for Zomba Changalume, cited the allocation of K5 billion for tree planting and care programme, which is expected to employ 10 000 youths, as a waste of public funds and a misallocation of resources.
According to Gondwe, the objective of this programme is “to equip the youth with knowledge, skills and ethics as a way of nurturing them for a career in the Civil Service as well as in the private sector.”
But Chikalimba has argued that there are key priority areas such as electricity, water, health and agriculture that need urgent attention and that it is naïve on the part of government to allocate such a huge sum just for reforestation.
He said: “The minister said 1 000 medical staff will be recruited during this financial year, but the figure is on the lower side, because it is laughable to allocate K5 billion for tree planting and recruit only 1 000 nurses to be caring for millions of lives.”
Meanwhile, major donors have ruled out any possibility of resuming direct budget support contrary to what Gondwe boasted about the coming back of some donors to support the budget, after they had pulled out following revelations of massive plunder of public resources widely known as Cashgate in 2013.
EU Ambassador Marchel Gerrmann said, according to quotes reported by Weekend Nation, that the impression that the EU will soon resume direct budget support was wrong.
He stressed that Brussels remains willing to support the budget if government meets the agreed set standards. The EU envoy also expressed disappointment with persistent corruption in the public sector, citing poor procurement systems as a cause for concern.
“We need to see progress on those areas and once that progress is there, and if the government can maintain macroeconomic stability, we would be willing to resume budget support. But we are not there yet and from that perspective it would have been prudent for the minister not to include the EU budget support in the budget,” Gerrmann stressed.
British High Commissioner Holly Tett also is quoted by the paper saying London will continue supporting Malawi off budget. She, like the EU also urged Capital Hill to ensure fiscal prudence in view of the forthcoming elections.
“There is still a huge problem with corruption. We are also quite aware of a number of corruption cases which often pass through our desks and this highlights that the problem is not yet addressed,” said Tett.
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Anthu a mamina mmutu amanewo anzawo a aja adafera panjira aja sangaone kanthu pa chilichonse. They trush the budget yet busy kuikambirana. Who is foolish then? Osangochokako ku parliament bwanji kuti a boma kambirananai nokha ife taona kuti palibe chomwe tatolapo?
Fresh air promotes good health hence a need to plant more trees. I see no problem there. Nanu ma donor we no longer need your conditional funds. We are no longer your puppets. We will be OK without you.
Goodall Goodall! Always lying mmmmh. This dude should really go.
If the media keeps reporting untruths, people can not make decisions.
This paper reported on the 18 May that the EU support Gondwe mentioned wad not put in the budget.
Today you are saying the EU envoy is saying it would have been prudent not to put in the EU support in the budget. Which is which? is it in the budget or not?
If MCP was in government what would be your budget. I wonder if it is real opposition that every bugdet presentation is a no sense to opposition and every presidential presentation is a no sense to opposition. My fear is that in a similar way every opposition contribution is a no sense to the ruling. Zachuluka ndi ndale basi. Gwetsanani nanuso mudzadyeko. Wabwino palibe apa. Am sorry with Abusa a Chakwera ubusa ukanika coz balancing things in pariament is really a challenge. It is all about talking good for yourself and bad for others for you to succeed. God help us. Unfortunately the old guys surrounding you is another unhealth situation for you….🐓
This over dependancy syndorm is killing our economy.
Get original with your ideas, I am assuming you have ideas.
Corruption is just a polite way to describe theft. There is theft in government and there are no controls on fuel which is allocated through cards. The government needs to have one place to have vehicles refuelled. The senior civil servants including ministers exchange fuel for cash at filling stations. They call it kusungunula and that can’t be traced. Allowing senior civil servants to drive themselves makes theft of fuel worse. They fuel vehicles for friends and wives.
Mama Kalisita ndinanena ine earlier on kuti anganga wa ndi gwemula uyu siizi ma euro wotu akuti anganga wa akunama zoti azungu wa awonjezera budget siizi azungu akana kuti not any time soon!! Siaja mumaima pachulu kuti “boma ilooo” tizanamizidwa mpaka liti abale since kamuzu tinkati ife zomwe mukambirane ku paliamenti ko ife tigwirizana nazo ukapolo umene uja udakalipo mpaka pano!!
Mama
Ma text olembela Ku mpandatu awa, mukufewa. Mutapita kumudzi simunganene zopusa zanuzi
Mayooo !! MALAWI wanga ine !!
DPP is full of crooks, so why boasting in parliament that you are atracting donors. Agogowa azipita akapume basi, 2019 MCP boma.
Well, the MoF still needs direct budget support for Malawi to function. The K1.5 trillion is barely enough for looting. So without donor support Malawians will continue feeling the heat with scattered mediocre developments (gravel roads, painting of old buildings, maintenance of antiquated turbines etc). So yes Mama Callista below, we aren’t going to manage without donor support.
MALAWI IS A LAUGHING STALK. THIS BUDGET IS PREEMPTING THE POCKETS OF THE POOR. THERE ARE NO INDICATORS THAT MALAWI IS LEADING IN THE SADC IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH. IT IS A BLUE LIE. THE 5 BILLION ALLOCATED TO FORESTRY IS A CASHGATE IN ITS DISGUISE. THIS DOES NOT NEED SOMEONE TO GO AND DO ECONOMICS. I REPEAT HERE. MALAWI IS ON AOUTOPILOT AND WE ARE NOSE DIVING TO A TOTAL EXTINCTION IF WE ARE NOT CAREFULL. CORRUPT PEOPLE ARE SET FREE WHILE A POOR MAN WHO HAS STOLEN A ZTE MOBILE PHONE WORTHY 7 THOUSAND KWACHA IS SENT TO PRISON. SHAME AND UNREAONING MALAWI. MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shame Mr Gondwe, why don’t you go out there and ask the citizens of Malawi what there needs are if you can’t see with your necked eyes…..
Shame on EU, Britain and other donors. Malawi is managing without your financial support. In fact, we are registering higher economic growth in the SADC region. We don’t need donors anymore because you were pulling us backwards. We’re starting to stand on our two feet. Au revoir.
Can you check your figures again? Is this the same SADC that we are holding second position from the bottom?
bodza limenero
Koma inu mutu ndiwobaizika zedi eti. Kutereku simunamve zalembedwa apa.
do you have any feet? if you have them they are wobbly.
That’s a lie. Why mention their support if we are standing on our own. High economic growth only registered by the increase in thieving. A person in the village is becoming poorer by the day.
How are you managing when Escom can’t provide magetsi. When KCH can’t even fix one elevator kuchita kubelekana going up and down wards. Your economic growth is better in Sadc but is your qaulity of life better than anyone in Sadc. Are South Africans with lower growth than Malawi flocking to come to Malawi.
what is Malawi managing? Blackouts? no medicines in hospitals? discharge of corrupt officials by courts? drinking polluted water in area 18?
You are the most gullible person behind falling of our nation.