Atupele bemoans public funds embezzlement in Malawi
Malawi opposition UDF president Atupele Muluzi, has s regretted the increase in the number of corrupt practices involving public office holders, saying 2014 tripartite elections will provide a rare opportunity for renewal and to usher in a new crop of leadership both at national and local levels of government.
The young Muluzi said this during a series of public meetings that took him to three eastern region districts of Balaka, Machinga and Zomba lasting for three days.
He told upporters how he and a new UDF administration intends to deliver change in Malawi, saying delivery and results were at the heart of his agenda and bemoaned the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public resources fuelling corruption in the country.
The UDF leader cited the ferterliser subsidy program as one of such programs that draws huge resources from the national purse but is ridfled with so many challenges including corruption.
“Year in year out, billions of kwacha’s are allocated to different sectors of the economy; to buy medicines for our clinics and hospitals. To buy teaching and learning materials for our schools. Overall to improve the quality of life for all Malawians. However the reality on the ground is different. Drugs not being procured, teaching and learning materials not being made available. Civil servants not being paid on time. Billions of kwacha’s are going missing through graft,” he said.
“The public purse needs to work for all Malawians,” said the UDF leader much to the excitement of the crowds.
He told the crowds that his administration if voted in power will take a number of immediate steps to address this problem.
“We will spend on the right priorities,” he said.
“We want to do everything at the same time and what makes it worse is that we are not spending our limited resources well. That is the reason why we are not getting the right results from our expenditures in education, health and other sectors. We need to spend better,” said Atupele.
He told the crowds that at the UDF policy conference taking place in Lilongwe next month he will be seeking the confirmation of delegates on a number of policy proposals such as a lean cabinet of technocrats in the next UDF administration that will be held accountable in the use of resources.
Atupele pointed out that UDF plans to develop a results culture at the heart of government and a clear policy on ensuring that key accountability institutions such as the Auditor Generals, Accountant Generals and ACB are adequately resourced and staffed.
The UDF leader further announced that the programme for the UDF policy conference will be released during the first week of October and explained that there will be a number of “exciting” proposals that his team has put together.
He promised the gatherings that the much touted UDF National Policy Conference which is taking place next month will provide the details on how the changes will be delivered.
The UDF leader will continue his tour of Mangochi, Ntcheu and Dedza in the next few days.
