Mutharika among best paid African Presidents -Ranking
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has been named among best paid president in Africa according to a research by Africa Review.
The Africa Review has compiled and analysed salaries of African leaders to try and see what they tell about the relationship between those in power and the governed.
The research which suggests that leaders of poor countries tend to pay themselves more than those in higher-income countries revealed that Mutharika earns $75,540 yearly.
The search shows that only a few countries make public what they pay their leaders – a key finding itself that suggests a lack of transparency.
Mutharika has been said to be getting over a 100 times over the average amount that a Malawian gets in a year, he is therefore President of one of the most unequal countries in the world in which the ruling class celebrates while the common people suffer – Mapwevupwevu factor!.
The Malawi leader increased his salary to K2.7 million ( $5,263 ) a month but in a “voluntary arrangement” he is still getting the K1.5 million a month “until economic situation improves.”
Finance and Economic Development Minister Goodall Gondwe told Nyasa Times the President deferred their new pay package amid austerity measures following foreign aid flight.
The salary hike exposed in the media, had shock waves to Malawians as the country is facing economic turmoil.
Paul Biya, President of Cameroon tops the list of best paidAfrican leaders, earning 229 times what an average Cameroonian earns, followed by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia who earns 113 times what her average citizen earns.
Rather than simply rank the leaders based on absolute figures, The Africa Review decided to compare their gross annual salaries with the Gross National Income of their countries – basically comparing the leader’s pay with what their nationals, on average, earn.
Overall, it appears that leaders of poor countries tend to pay themselves more than those in higher-income countries.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :