Car Park system, Cement subsidy stirs fierce debate in Malawi Parliament

There fierce debate in Parliament over the Automated Car Park system and the Malata and Cement Cement Subsidy which clearly showed that all is not well between the government and opposition.

Malawi Congress Party  (MCP) Mzimba Solola legislator Jacob Hara questioned governments wisdom in subjecting civil servants who work at  Kamuzu International Airport to a fee of K4,000 per month for parking their cars while they are working.

Hara raised the question on Matters of Urgent Public Importance under Standing Order 14 wondering why civil servants who work at the airport be paying that fee when actually their place of work.

“We are surprised that government did not consult relevant stakeholders when coming up with such a decision. Why should civil servants who own cars and are working to help government to raise revenue be paying the fees?” wondered Hara.

But Minister of Transport and Public Works Francis Kasaila said government already gave these civil servants preferential treatment by giving them the minimal fee of K4,000 instead of the K30,000 which they could have been paying.

This provoked the wrath of opposition who castigated the minister of not caring for already poorly paid civil servants.

Jessie Kabwila MCP legislator for Salima also stood and challenged the minister as to why government is penalizing the civil servants who include police, civil aviation employees, immigration officers and others who are actually making the airport operational.

“It is on record that the president challenged the civil servants who are not satisfied with working for the civil service should go to the private sector. Is this a tactic of driving the civil servants to go to the private sector?”asked Kabwila.

This did not go down well with Kasaila who is also Leader of the House who accused Kabwila of playing politics.

However, the matter did not reach its conclusion because the First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje curtailed the debate.