Centre for Social Concern drill journalists in Public Finance Management to report abuse of resources 

The Center for Social Concern (CfSC) has challenged journalists in Malawi to engage an extra gear in the dissemination of information on Public Finance Management and development projects in order to enable citizens to hold their duty-bearers accountable.

CfSC is a faith-based organization working to transform the unjust structures through research and advocacy to ensure sustained change in policies for the betterment of all in line with their human dignity.

Speaking at the close of a day-long training for journalists, the centre’s programme officer, Bernard Mphepo, observed that journalists are critical in empowering citizens; hence, it is imperative that the media to amplify technical language in the Public Finance Management Act for the benefit of the ordinary citizens.

Mphepo made the remarks at Mponela on Wednesday during the public finance management training, which the centre organized for journalists.

“Basically there has been very limited reporting on issues of public finance management because of the limited knowledge journalist have as such there have been a limited scrutiny by the public on these issues,” he said.

Mphepo emphasized that the desire of CFSC is to see empowered citizens who can demand answers from duty-bearers on issues bordering on public financing.

He observed that the government rarely releases easy-to-understand documents.

“I therefore urge journalists to make sure that issues to do with public resources and finance are prominent in their reporting so that citizens have a big understanding and that if there is need for them to demand anything they should do so with ease and understanding.

“If journalists fail to report it means that citizens will also fail to demand as such they should pay a closer attention on how government is financing the public resources so that they generate interest from the people,” he said.

Steve Chilundu of Nation Publication Limited described the training as timely.

“Issues of public financing are many and we give a blind eye because we do not have knowledge or we do not have interest as such this will help us as it has helped us understand how important these issues are to the nation,” said Chilundu.

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