Malawi MPs resurrect ‘cruel joke’ for pay hike amid economic turmoil

Some parliamentarians want the government to hike their salaries and other entitlements in what they call because of sharp in rise of living cost.

Sources at parliament said the legislators, mostly from the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Peoples Party have been meeting Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya over the issue.

“We have also been hit hard by the economic turmoil the country is facing, we cannot make ends meet,” said one member  of parliament.

The MPs get a lump sum of K1.5 million a month which include K400 000 worth of fuel.

In addition, they get K40000 per day as seating allowance and K10000 per day as meal allowance when parliament is in session or when they are meeting in parliamentary committees.

They also get K400 per person per kilometre whenever they are going to and from parliament or any other official duty.

There are 193 legislators in the House.

Henry Kachaje, a renowned economist, speaking to MIJ FM on Monday morning on an unrelated issue, said there was need to redesign entitlements of public officers in view of the shrinking economy and shrinking resources for the government.

He said the national budget, although it is K1.1 trillion is lesser than last year’s K920 billion when one converts the money to US dollars at the times the budgets were presented to parliament.

Kachaje  therefore said there was need for the government to save money and one way would be to reduce some entitlements for public and civil servants

Some observers think  it’s a “cruel joke”  for MPs to seek salary increaments in light of economic struggles, saying they showed have showed leadership by asking a one month pay freeze.