DPP responds to JB’s Malawi Parliament speech: Calls it empty rhetoric, gives no hope
Leader of one of Malawi’s main opposition the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Parliament George Chaponda has called the President Joyce Banda’s speech when she opened the House on Friday as an empty rhetoric and a self-glorification that does not give hope to the suffering people of the country.
Malawi is going through one of its hardest economic hardships in recent times following the souring prices of basic needs including fuel which has recently been hiked to K703 for a litre of petrol mainly due to the current devaluation and floatation of the local currency against the US Dollar.
Chaponda in his response to President Banda’s said what was said was not in line with what is happening on the ground.
“In this speech there is lack of vision,” he said.
Chaponda said the Malawi nation expected the President to deal with issue of the flotation of the kwacha and other topical issues which require immediate intervention as well as long term plans.
The DPP leader in he House also faulted the President’s success sentiments on the economic recovery plan (ERP). He said the ERP was just subjecting people to even more hardships with wages and salaries losing value almost daily.
He said the ERP lacks a comprehensive resource envelope for achieving intended results and only show that government is paralysed by the present economic challenges.
Said Chaponda: “Weak linkages between the ERP and the budget imply weak implementation of the recovery plan and this will result in a slow, painful economic recovery. That is why the DPP affirms that both the PP and its ERP are not credible.”
Chaponda also said following the policies of the current administration it was clear that the country is being ruled by foreign agents while the administration “doesn’t seem, to care.”
He also wondered why the budget for the farm inputs subsidy has been increased from K40.8 billion to K57 billion.
“While we appreciate the increased number of beneficiaries (from the announced 1.5 million), in the interest of transparency the Head of State would have told us who are those extra beneficiaries, who identified the beneficiaries and who approved the additional fund,” he added.
Chaponda said suspicions were high that the increased number of beneficiaries was due to staff at State House and church leaders that have been receiving the subsidy when they are not necessarily poor.
“The Government must provide a detailed statement of accountability to this House on the increased beneficiaries,” he added.
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