Malawi Parliament adjourns sine die
Malawi Parliament on Friday adjourned sine die after lawmakers gave the stamp of approval to the revised K300 093 416 529 Zero-Deficit Budget which has been cut from K320 billion presented in June 2012.
Leader of Government business, Dr George Chaponda, applauded “the support the members have shown in approving the revised budget.”
Finance Minister Ken Lipenfga also assure that government will “utilise public resources in the most effective, accountable and transparent manner.”
However, the session was not without drama.
George Mnesa the Balaka South lawmaker, who is also president of Mafunde party, revealed in the House that Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) borrowed K15 billion from commercial banks which it reported as revenue to paint a rosy picture in the infamous Zero-Deficit budget.
The banks are NBS Bank, INDEBANK, Malawi Savings Bank, National Bank of Malawi and Standard Bank.
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) MP for Karonga Nyungwe, Khwauli Msiska, moved the motion to investigate the allegation and summon commercial bank bosses to testify.
But using their strengths in numbers, the government side defeated the motion to investigate the allegations.
“This motion should be thrown out. It is full of malice and a classic case of kangaroo court. Let the MP just bring evidence in this Parliament,” Lipenga said.
Mnesa told parliament that he had material objective evidence that MRA borrowed K15 billion from commercial banks to spice up revenue collection figures for the government.
However, MRA issued a statement dismissing the allegation.
Parliament adjourned sine die (without assigning a day for a further meeting).
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