Malawi govt cuts budget for Kamuzu memorial park: MP Jumbe irks Minister Fabiano

Government has made a dramatic cut on the budget of Kamuzu Memorial Park from K150m to K50m prompting Kasungu south east parliamentarian to demand that government takes away the remaining money as it will not have an impact on the development of the resting place of the first president of Malawi.

This was after Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe had announced a huge cut of the ministry of Information, Tourism and Civic Education of K2 billion and one of the affected is the Kamuzu Memorial Park which falls under Tourism Department.

The Kasungu south east legislator, a great niece of Kamuzu, implored the remaining K50million be reallocated to the Ministry of Education where there was great need for more resources and “Kamuzu loved education.”

However, Gondwe said the government will not be able to extend works at the park in the next four months but promised this will be done next year.

“Kamuzu is revered even from this side, we are all indebted to him,” said Gondwe.

Some parliamentarians also took the government to task on why it is not aggressively selling Malawi for tourism through advertisements in international television channels like CNN or reputable international publications as is the case with other progressing nations like Kenya.

Minister of Information Jappie Mhango said Malawi has not yet reached the level of marketing at such a level.

And Minister of Finance Gondwe said the exercise cannot be factored in mid-year budget saying it is a medium term venture.

Salima central MP Felix Jumbe touched the row nerve of Minister of Education Emmanuel Fabiano and his deputy Vincent Ng’ambi when the parliamentarian praised Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume for raising the budget in his ministry from K81 billion to K86 billion unlike his ministry of education counterpart.