Malawi MPs in 100 percent pay rise: ‘Wholly inappropriate’

Parliamentarians in Malawi have silently raised their remuneration package by 100 percent which will see them pocketing K1.2 million a month a move that observers say is “inappropriate” in light of economic conditions.

The remuneration package, which has been revised secretly, has also tripled their loan facility to K24 million at the end of their 5-year term of office, according to Nation on Sunday newspaper.

Sources from National Assembly and Ministry of Finance have confirmed that the gross package of Members of Parliament has doubled from K724,114 while the loan facility has more than tripled from K7 million.

Speaker of National Assembly Richard Msowoya with the head of State Proff ... ika at the Opening of the 45th Session of Parliament-pic by Lisa Vintulla
Speaker of National Assembly Richard Msowoya with the head of State Proff … ika at the Opening of the 45th Session of Parliament-pic by Lisa Vintulla

The new package comes from MPs basic salary of K179, 500 to K250, 000 and a rise in consolidated allowances that have also doubled from K544, 614 to K1.1 million a month.

The allowances that have been raised include housing, constituency, vehicle maintenance.

Vehicle maintenance vehicle allowance has been the most noticeable skyrocketing from K150, 000 to K600, 000 a month.

The 100 percent increase has pushed the total wage bill for the 193 Parliamentarians to K270 million a month, K3.2 billion a year and K16.2 million at the end of their five-year term of office.

The wage bill is at par with the K3.1 billion allocated to Ministry of Transport and Public Works annual budget, 2.4 percent of the K131 billion total wages and salaries for the 120,000 employees on government payroll.

Many people Nyasa Times spoke to, expressed their anger at the news, with the tax payer asking the MPs to reject the pay increase.

Others are calling on President Peter Mutharika to intervene to reject the large pay rise and bear in mind public opinion and “the wider economic climate and the climate of people’s living standards”.

In another related development, Malawians will at the end of the National Assembly subside MP’s luxurious life by helping them to repay half of the K24 million maximum loan facility each MP is entitled to in a revised scheme.

The development comes in amid heavy criticism levelled against the National Assembly’s move to offer life salary to former Speakers of National Assembly claiming that this will be one of the ways that they could make the office independent of executive arm manipulation.

It is coming at a time when the civil servants have been pushing for better packages and also getting their salaries not on time especially teachers.

 

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
119 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Read previous post:
Malawi players inspire Celtic to charity showdown triumph

Malawi national team players Gabadinho Mhango and Limbikani Mzava inspired South Africa’s top league side Bloemfontein Celtic to an inaugural...

Close