Malawi assets declaration bill fails to pass: MPs send back for further scrutiny
Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs, Fahad Assan has bowed down to parliamentarians’ demands to take the assets and declaration bill to relevant authorities for further scrutiny.
Speaking during a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, Assan said although the bill was drafted thoroughly before it was presented in the House, Government is willing to scrutinize it further for the nation’s benefit.
“I would like Members of Parliament to understand the importance of this bill to the nation. The bill requires support from both ruling and opposition sides,” he said.
Minister of Lands and Housing and Leader of the House, Henry Phoya concurred with Assan, saying the bill is not a window dressing strategy.
“The bill is well detailed, precise and well-thought out. It has taken government a long time to come up with this bill,” said Phoya supporting that the bill be resend to relevant authorities for scrutiny.
However, Member of Parliament for Chiradzulu North, Roka Mauwa faulted the bill saying, it is very selective.
She said the bill should have apart from focusing on the President and Vice President and civil servants; it should also have looked at all members of society including non-governmental organizations that receive funding from donors.
“We need to discuss this bill with sober minds so that we should not come back to it in the near future,” said Mauwa.
She then stressed that the director of assets declaration committee should be recruited through a comprehensive process so that she or he should discharge the duties independently.
The assets declaration bill was presented by Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs in parliament on Monday this week.
