Chakwera for expenditure controls: ‘Don’t just follow me, presidential convoy should not inconvenience people’
President Lazarus Chakwera has spoken his commitment to expenditure control , saying he does not want too many senior government officials accompanying him wherever he goes.
Chakwera said this on Friday when he officially opened the Sogecoa Golden Peacock Hotel at Chichiri in Blantyre. ,
He said it was not justifiable for government officials to abandon their offices and follow the President or his vice around whenever he has a function to attend.
“It is only realistic to have a limited number of government officials during my functions and it would only make sense to attend a function that you will be needed or you are directly involved,” he said.
“I believe some of you see it as protocol to be present at my functions; but that is wastage of government money.
“Serve the people you were appointed to serve- Malawians and not me, that is the duty you are mandated to perform,” he said.
Chakwera also asked the Minister of Homeland Security, Richard Chimwendo Banda to look into the matter of closing roads for hours to pave way for the presidential motorcade across the country, saying the practice has potential to frustrate citizens and could contribute to unproductivity.
“I know this is the privilege of the presidency and for my own security but I feel there can be another way of seeing that people are not being stopped from doing their businesses just because they are waiting for my motorcade,” said Chakwera.
Section 123 of the Road Traffic Act provides that vehicles are supposed to pave the way for a presidential convoy. The law also stipulates that emergency vehicles, including ambulances and fire engines, should be given right of way when responding to emergency situations.
Chakwera acknowledged that presidential motorcades tend to inconvenience people; hence, the need to revise how they operate.
He, therefore, asked the Minister of Homeland Security to liaise with the Inspector General of Police, George Kainja to devise a way through which motorists are not inconvenienced whenever he travels.
“In Lilongwe, for example, we don’t hold people on the road for more than 15 minutes for my motorcade to get through and that can happen across the country,” the President added.
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Walk the talk Mr President. You have been flying a chartered jet on visits this past month. How much did that cost the tax payer? More than following you for sure. Nawo ma government official amafuna ma allowance. Mumati akadye ku chipatala?
What he said was correct but how and when he did it was wrong. Such policies need to be outlined in initial pronouncements. Chakwera should have told the nation how he intends to run his office right at Kamuzu Barracks where the inauguration was held. Let us assume that just skipped his mind; why then couldn’t he do it everytime he held his ministers meetings? We don’t need to know all that but your subordinates. Basically all he was doing was showing off that he is in command and right on the ball. Was it not Chilima who made unnecessary… Read more »
We want development not these petty minute changes. Being different from Muntharika isn’t the only yardstick of being a good president. Show us development. Where are the jobs?
So are you against his point or not?Development needs money thus why he is trying to cut his expenditure.Lets not just brush off everything because you have been against him,no.Time wasted will never be gained,in short he does not want to waste peoples time just because of his motorcade.People needs to do their business and work of which its part of development.Let us learn to understand someones point before we start bringing our useless arguments.
Asiyeni che Baulani nawo apelekepo fundo yawo
I wish you could surprise us Mr. President. Let’s just wake up one day Overtaking a high profile vehicle and be told later that it was our president. These podium speeches really irritate me. I wish you called your ministers to the respected state house and tell them that, ife tingoona kusinthako basi
Very true.
He is also inviting criticism when it doesn’t happen.It’s not up to him it’s up to the respective ministries to do their jobs.
What will he do akamukanila?
This is the only sensible thing that Chakwera has ever said since he assumed office. Another thing that is wasting government money is double allowance claims by mostly senior people accompanying a minister and those doing audit. Internal auditors, treasury officials are the biggest thieves.
Its indeed a well calculated move and good one.
Having driven from Blantyre to Lilongwe as the presidential motorcade passed the other way, I am extremely depressed with what I saw: 1. We must have passed over 30 police vehicles which included a 60 seater bus delivering over 15 police to each trading centre, with armed PMF. As well as police Manning each entrance to the main road. 2. We were stopped for over an hour waiting for the presidential convoy to pass by at Ntcheu. 3. The actual motorcade was massive. The security was extremely excessive. Why do our president fear us their own people. Just think of… Read more »