No more ‘per diem hunting’: Donors echo Chakwera commitment to stop workshop allowances
A combination of low wages and perverse incentives motivate civil servants to supplement their income with per diem payments connected to participation in seminars and workshops but the United Nations has come out in full support President Lazarus Chakwera’s recent commitment to end the allowance culture he termed “most difficult form of corruption.”
UN Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres, said participation in workshops, training and seminars has often come with several challenges linked to the implementation of harmonized allowances.
“This puts a significant burden on the successful implementation of Development Partner’s efforts, especially in capacity development and limits the impact of our support,” said Torres in a communication to the Office of the President and Cabinet, which Nyasa Times has seen, dated August 7 2020.
Acting UN resident coordinator Benoit Thiry confirmed they have made a proposal that complied good existing practices and it is not only applicable to Malawi but in other countries as well.
“As Development Partners in Malawi we fully support the vision of President Chakwera and express our high interest to engage with your Government on this issue that is so central to the Public Sector Reform and to our daily business as Development Partners. We are committed to be part of a sustainable and fair solution that encourages integrity and motivation of Malawi’s civil servants,” reads the letter.
In many cases, managers knowingly allowed the per diem irregularities, or accepted the opportunistic organization of seminars primarily intended to maximize per diem payments. They often misused the system to offer extra payments to their staff, and inflated their unit’s budgets to create financial space for the manipulation of the travel compensation system.
But the development partners have reviewed the developed guidelines which among others, require that an event; workshop or seminar only be organised in a location where majority of participants are coming from and only those relevant to the workshop should be invited.
“Whenever possible the organising institution shall use its own government or donor venues/ offices meeting rooms to minimise costs,” reads the UN proposal.
Donors have also proposed an immediate end to provision of sitting allowances.
“Participants shall not receive payments (e.g. honoraria) for performing duties during events (e.g. workshop facilitation/ presenting papers /etc.) for which they receive a salary,” she said.
Accommodation shall be provided to participants only when staying overnight and that those duly invited and actually present are eligible for reimbursements.
The organising institution has the option of paying the actual cost of participants’ dinner directly to the hotel full board or offering them a cash allowance for dinner within the agreed maximum established limits.
The Department for International Development (DfID), African Development Bank, Flanders International Cooperation Agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and World Bank have agreed to abide to these principles
The Delegation of the European Union to Malawi, German, Iceland, Ireland and Royal Norwegian Embassies and the American government also agreed to the guidelines.
President Chakwera on July 25, in his first weekly address to the nation, spoke strongly against the allowance syndrome.
“The only way to fix it is for all of us who have created and perpetuate this culture to come together at various points in the next six months to create a common approach to allowances that makes sense and stops waste,” said Chakwera.
Donor agencies play an important role in designing and financing development programmes and training events.
According to a published research by Arne Tostensen on Chr. Michelsen Institute, governments and donors should promote steps to make more fundamental reforms that change the embedded culture of “per diem hunting” and contain the misuse of per diem pay by managers.
“This problem needs to be addressed as part of a broader civil service reform, addressing pay and compensation structures as well as performance management.
“Ultimately, when justified, the additional monetary per diem benefits should be incorporated into formal wages,” he wrote.
He said efforts should be made to change the widespread acceptance of per diem allowances as a source of extra pay.
“Civil servants at all levels should understand that travel compensation systems are only for the reimbursement of travel expenses–and they need to behave correspondingly. “
Meanwhile, the UN says its proposals started before the new regime came into power.
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Ife alo workshop yonsitinapitepo zichisedwedi zimenezi zopoila tonse full board basi hahah
So sad to see so many racist comments towards the US, UK folks.
if tomorrow they all leave Malawi what will so many of you do?
please don’t post fake salaries on this forum, drivers don’t get paid these allowances you quote.
Time for you to stop complaining and start working. Don’t want to do the job you are paid to do? Then leave employment, plenty others waiting to work without trying to steal, deceive the employer.
Yes, let them go. We do not need them. after all we already receive peanuts in their watch. What do they say? They are just a bunch of useless foreigners. Lorna; whether you are a man or a woman, i think you are educated enough to know how much Civil Servants suffer to make ends meet. Replacing the entire Civil Service may not be the best way to go. Allowances are there to complement whatever government employees get. I think Chakwera is taking Malawians for a ride. Remember another presidential election will come in 2025 which is not far from now
The major take away from Corona is that may face to face meetings can be done online. Perdiems are therefore no longer required.
We just need some technology. Some conference rooms , a proper network structure and teleconferencing technology will do it.
No more offsite meetings , toners , reams of paper, accommodation reservations, fuel , vehicle maintenance, per diem allowance – no more!
The savings from this technology implementation should then be used to elevate low salaries.
Can’t agree with you more. This allowance culture has done alot of damage and the sooner it is reviewed the better.
Imagine a Cabinet Minister leaves his office, allowances (fuel, perdiem) duely paid, to visit a project under his Ministry, and demands allowances from the relevant implementing body. GREED of the worst order.
Yes, review the allowance payment.
Tazikonda zimenezi. Ziyambe ndi President, nduna ndi ma mp. Kenako Civil servant. Asaipe Civil servant lero chifukwa mudaoloka inu chilichonse chaulere koma ma allowance chilandilirenicho.
First important thing is to see why Civil servants salivate for allowances…their salaries are unrealistic if compared to the cost of living. They will do all they can to top up their pathetic payslips. If UN wants to do away with these allowances they must expect total resentment from the people involved in their programs.
plenty people willing to do the job. Everyone in this world is replaceable
Bitter pill to swallow but this is good development.Its exactly what we used to do in UK and we do the same in the US. Next is to cut on the fleet of government vehicles
I am already furious with these NGOs who are advocating for the removal of allowances for civil servants. Chakwera must be very very careful on this one. In fact very careful.
UNICEF discriminate Civil Servants. You travel with them to Blantyre, they receive K150,000 per night include their drivers while Civil Servants are only given K30,000.
Come to our hotels. We will give u the allowances.
I think they have taken the president out of context. The president is against the abuse of allowances not against the allowances.
Actually, these UN workers must be investigated. They employ expatriates in areas where Malawians can ably do defeatI get Tonse philosophy of employing a million Malawians.
Campaign, you said sodiers should be given their allowances in full, come to power no allowances for public servants.
Soldier not a public servant.those are independent.they have their own pay scale too
Here is my experience. I attended a workshop in Salima and it was full board ( meaning no allowances). But what came out of that meeting was a big argument. How can the donor (UNDO) pay Sunbird Hotel K70,000 per night for a civil servant to sleep. Then the meals were about K20,000 per day. This was a 5 day workshop. It means UNDP was paying Sunbird K90,000 a day to host me which is K450,000 for the whole exercise. Our argument was that if UNDP gave us K50,000 per day to fend for ourselves, it would have helped us and they would have saved. Here you can see that it is UNDP which is corrupt. They would rather make rich people rich while the poor remain poorer. UNDP is another form of neo colonialism. Moreover we know that the UN directors get their cut from these hotels. They are given some money which in its self is corruption. Pliz UNDP and all other useless organisations, stop fooling Malawians. You are the most corrupt idiots in the country. You want to show us that u care but u dont. When white people came, you give them heft allowances for doing nonsense. We may be a third world country but we also have a life. And if Chakwera agrees to your nonsense, we will kick him out of govt. We are the ones who put him in power. And we are the ones who will kick him out
One word is enough for the wise.
We need to get that mentality out.if you all stay at the same place time is properly managed.
Straight forward talk. I like your arguments.
This is why nothing much will change.
What on earth was the point of this ‘workshop’ in Salima of all places??
Regardless of who got paid, what did you learn?
Was it implemented to make any real change for Malawians?
Maybe the guys at UN get a cut. Sunbird, of course, employs mostly Malawians. So how the ‘allowance’ is paid seems to be quite beside the point.
But why hold such ridiculous meetings in the first place.
Waste of money.
No, Hastings. Your workshop should NOT have been n Salima in the first place.
You dont help a nation by demotivating its work force. UN officers should know by now that a government officer with a bachelors degree gets 250 USD a month whilst a UN officer with a bachelor’s degree gets above 3500 USD a month. The UN officer has a house allowance, a health insurance and other benefits on top of their salary. The government officer uses 150 USD for rentals, 100 USD on transport and lunch. If there are opportunities for allowances, which is an uncertain source of income, they carter for his electricity, water, food, health, and other bills. Unless the UN is planning to contribute to government salaries, then they have no right to speak, otherwise why have an opinion where they dont have a responsibility. They will only demotivate Malawi’s work force and remove the only coping mechanism of a civil servant under a government that does not take care of its work force. This decision should be made upon consultation with civil servants and an analysis of the underlying causes. Chakwera should not allow any government or international agency to paint a bad name on his government employees simply because they are trying to cope with underpayment. Why do our leaders allow people from outside to paint their people bad? We have allowed other governments to dictate how we manage our citizens for so long. Look at the minimum wages in Norway, Germany and all those countries saying Malawians should not get allowances. Their governments pay them well and they give allowances to their officers when they travel and Malawi can not have a say on that in no way. Yet Malawi government pays its employees peanuts but you listen to those countries opinions to help you demotivate your employees further without offering any permanent solution to the underlying causes of low salaries. Those UN and international partners have no right to speak about our welfare because they have never been in our shoes. They spend money on luxuries whilst we struggle for basic needs. Chakwera better listen to Malawians voices rather than people who don’t share our pain. Engage the civil servants in a discussion and find a permanent solution that will serve the interest of the government and it’s people.
just join the UN then
UN has limited place and it’s not for everyone
then just accept the terms. if not go and start your own company so that you can be having workshops at the lake and paying yourselves 150,000 per night.
So many ‘civil servants’ indignant that they should be entitled to allowances.
You realise this 250 USD or whatever it is you make, is a good deal more than most Malawians??
The majority of the rural and urban population struggles to buy maize to feed their family.
They break their backs to plant some maize to last them the year. Other times they struggle with piece jobs.
Most of the urban poor spend all day trying to sell their wares somewhere, in the hopes of making 500 or 1000 kwacha so they can have their only measly meal of the day.
And the ‘civil servants’ complain that the taxpayer doesn’t pay them enough to afford a house like an expat or he has to drive a Mazda or Toyota instead of a Land Cruiser VX like they really need.
The arrogance is astounding.
Just harmonise ma allowances koma zosiya nde ayi..our salaries are already in negative infact they work in reverse to the efforts we put in the Jobs..
Uyambe wasiya kaye kulandila iweyo Lazaro
How can a person claim allowance 365 days per year? I had a ministry health official who claimed sitting allowance for sexually reproductive health seminars for whole of Malawi but he never attended even one.,,,,He signed for the money before the workshop
And you think everybody does that. These so called prudent organisations are prepared to pay three times the allowances civil servant recieve in the name of full board workshop. What they hate is to see a civil servant receive the cash. These people are evil
Make sure the participants are fully supported so that they can comprehensively participate in the workshops. The allowance was not as a bad approach but the problem was with the organizers who poached the participants alot, selected wrong/same participants in order to benefit financially.
Inu a nonse alliance tionana 2025,musaone ngati civil servant ndi omuseweletsa apo ayi kwezani ma salary kupanda apo izi mungo ona kuziyamba simukwanitsa.
Conferences and work shops are for Personal Development so that one learns new ways of doing things otherwise you get stagnant in old ways. Allowances only benefit a few people. Messengers and all low paid civil servants dont get these allowances. Salaries should be increased across the board taking into account of all other benefits (water, cars, house servant etc). After all low paid servants dont get these benefits. The mindset of Malawians need to change. Conferences and workshops attended should be taken into consideration when promotions are being considered. People will then attend them as a learning mechnism to advance themselves. Those who dont attend will miss on promotions when they come up.
What ‘new ways’??
Our hard-working civil servants have been having countless ‘workshops’ and seminars for years and years.
What on earth has it ever benefitted Malawians??
Did our government become efficient and some how nobody noticed?
Malawi is a sovereign state. This is a friendly advice to the Tonse Government to tread carefully with donors. These people do not wish African governments well. This strong recommendation to stop giving daily Subsistence Allowances to public servants will only work to your peril. Good Governments deliver because there is a well motivated public service machinery.
Malawians have in the public service have toiled for a long time and getting peanuts. These are people who have a train of relatives depending on them. At the end of the day their gratuity pay only takes them to the grave because they cannot make meaningful retirement with it. Hence the general definition of Malawi becoming the most poorest country in the whole world.
Reason: donors come to play.
If you remember Bingu was a very strong leader. Donors saw how influential he was to other regional leaders and they rose up against him. We are enjoying big architectural infrastructure today because Bingu had a vision with Malawians to heart. Combine Bingu and Magufuli you get a finest set of regional leaders. Donors fear such leaders.
Remember what donors did to downgrade the Malawi Kwacha immediately Joyce Banda took office. We are still struggling as a nation because of that naive response by the then President.
Now back to our current discourse on DSAs, this is what motivates most public servants and because of that Government services do not suffer to a large extent. Its true some misguided officers go overboard, but these can be put in check by putting in place fair guidelines aimed at ensuring there is prudence. That’ll be the duty of Controlling Officers in MDAs.
Remember also that without hardworking public servants who toiled to make sure the Fresh Elections were held because of their commitment without regard to allowances have put the Tonse Government in place. Donors shunned us. Now is not the time to throw spanners at those public servants.
So if Tonse Government is as it campaigned that it is a listening Government, it must make sure not to ire the hard workers who are bonafide Malawians also heavily taxed.
This will be the best and most effective game changer in the public service. The Culture is deep rooted and will cost “blood” to uproot it.
Good proposal
The problem is that many civil servants have misused the package of allowances. Some have even built houses and drinking with other women.
Unfortunately non of them has worked in the civil service. They don’t know the plight of the civil servants who are on the ground. I hope you will finish the trouble you are starting come 2025!
The civil servants ‘plight’??
What about the plight of the poor Malawian that pays your salary with his taxes.
Why not start with Parliament?
Walk the talk.
Utter nonsense and foolish idea from UN. Go to hell with you. You should start by harmonising conditions of services of Civil servants and your organisation including salary structure before talking this rubbish from your stinking mouth. Just try to do your nosense and you will live to regret your shit.
Amene mukuvomera izi just know kuti Chakwera will not make it in 2025 .These donors are the ones abusing allowances ,imagine they pay their drivers Mk150,000.00 for sleeping outside his/her work station .Yet the government is only paying Mk20,000.00 to a driver after sleeping outside his/her duty station .Who is abusing allowances here ?.The MK150,000 .00 that is paid to UNDP driver as an allowance for single night .Its the salary for grade K in civil service after working for 30 days .Kodi mukufuna amalawi azingosaukirabe ? ……Chakwera ndi chilima watch out ,dont just dance to any tune …You know kuti civil service is the engine of the country ………..yelekezani muwone
Maria Jose Torres! Please! ………[ comments deleted…]
Good people, let’s learn to work hard and be innovative….why not start a side business or a farm than depend on questionable allowances?
Give civil servants higher salaries of you want to cut on allowances . Otherwise this proposal by Donors is aimed at inciting anger among civil servants and they will rise against chakwera government so that come 2025 he is booted out of the government. As former civil servant myself I know that this is not the first time Donors have said this . They said it before during Bingu regime but it never worked. Government continued paying us per diems. Most civil servants earn less than 1000 usd a month. How do you expect them to survive without allowances. Those donors earn their salaries in USD there in MALAWI And per diem to them is nothing.So Chakwera take care of MALAWI people and not donors . They are digging your pit soon you will fall into it
This is why these Europeans laugh behind our backs as people who don’t use our intelligence. The same white people give their people hefty allowances when they go out to work in the field. The issue here is not about allowances but the ones who control the pot. Chakwera and his compatriots should go out in the far flung areas of Malawi and he find that the men and women who are on the ground working have at one time or another done a job worth getting an allowance but they have not been paid to date because someone pocketed the money- the so called controlling officer. Rudderless
The system of allowances is abused by the civil servants. In other organizations especially NGOs and UN organization you get imprest and you account for any expenditure incurred. Civil servants are fond of making trips just for allowances and worse still if they go for inspections they even ask the organizations being inspected to pay them for fuel and other expensive. There are loads of people looking for jobs and it is surprising to see civil servants abusing what they already have. They already have a good pension that takes care of them for the rest of their lives. They have very low working hours unlike companies that stick to 48 hours as per employment Act. They can leave offices without being asked. They abuse even fuel allocated in their cards in what they call kusungula. All such things are not available to teachers, police officers and nurses. They capitol hill is rotten especially from directors to PSs.
It could be good to change the system not removal of allowance so that participants are rotated not same people, check the organizers &accountants
Just reading the comments here, it looks a lot of people will suffer. Go to Lilongwe, one will think the civil servants are the high earners in this country. What a shame!!
Surprisingly, these organizations want to be paying hotels for accommodation more than what they would give an individual participant. I don’t understand the logic behind this.
it will get rid of unnecessary meetings
This is absolutely crap. What is the motive here by Chakwera govt? Is it a matter of cutting down costs or just the spirit of per diem? It doesn’t make sense to me bcz a hotel accommodation is double the per diem you are going to give the participant. In addition, it is a form of motivation. International organisations give out allowance to their employees. After all, one is working outside his/her normal working station. I think Chakwera is dreaming. May b u now want to enrich yr party members by accommodating people in the hotels/rest houses or lodges.
The only way is to revise salaries. Otherwise ndi zosatheka izi. Mungowona kuziyamba. Infact ma donors omwewo ndi amene amafuna azipeleka ma allowances. We know even ku UN, drivers get 120,000 per night. Lets face facts, the malawi situation is special, lets revise pay for our civil servants then we start discussing izi za per diem.
True
Agreed!
no need to revise. As mlaliki said, those who can’t take it should join the private sector
Uku kumakhala kulankhula kowawa kwambiri. Ngati zanu zikuyenda bwino, dont say that. let the people complain until the authorities do something about it.
kudana ndi chirungamo. in life the easiest way to change anything is to change what YOU can do about it. Trying to change the next person or organisation is a harder thing to do.
Tonse alliance digging it’s own grave hahaha!!!!!
Imodzi mwa mbava za ma allowance ndi imeneyi. Those who are not happy to work as pulic servants are free to leave. What you get is tax payers money. The government is not there to make profits but to serve the people, that is, to provide essential services like education and health care.
Yes please absolutely remove these in the civil service. Those who feel an excessive pinch can join the private sector as entrepreneurs or just work.
Black lives matter too