MP decries rising poverty in Malawi: ‘Single digit inflation does not mean anyting to suffering citizens’

Kasungu South-East member of Parliament (MP) Khumbize Kandodo-Chiponda (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) has decried the poor state of the national economy and the rising poverty level in the country.

Kandodo-Chiponda  despite the government claiming positive ecomonic data such as reduction of inflation to single digit, there is no real effect trickling down to the citizenry.

“The difference between 24 per cent to a single digit of 8.4 per cent does not mean anything to [the poor Malawians].  What I know is that, their lifestyle has really gone down drastically,” said the MP.

Kandondo- Chiponda said the single digit inflation means that life becomes hard, then Malawians  would rather have the double percentage inflation.

“What the people know is that, the prices of basic commodities like; bread, sugar and even soap have gone up.   Now, do you mean that if we have the double digit inflation then life is going to be better for them than the single digit inflation?

“The lives of the people that I represent in Kasungu South East, is sinking below micro-economic stability and not like the President put it that it is rising.  It is different in Kasungu South East Constituency,” she said.

She said people in her constituency  cannot afford the basic things even to pay school fees for their children.