PAC quiz Ministries over K55m audit query on Mutharika’s UN ‘jamboree’
Controlling officers in two ministries told ParliAment’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that they had allocated unauthorised expenditure amounting to K55 million to finance the expenses for the annual ritual of the President attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2015.
President Peter Mutharika had a bloated delegated of 100 people for the UNGA 2015 trip and government spend about K500 million in travel and accommodation expenses and allowances.
PAC met two ministries; the Information and Communication Technology and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism to scrutinise and seek clarification on audit queries for the 2015/16 fiscal year won misallocation of expenditures of K46.6 million and K4.9 million respectively, charged to items not related to UNGA trip.
The controlling officers used the President’s trip to the UNGA as justification for spending millions of taxpayers’ funds without seeking the approval of the Secretary to Treasury as the law provides.
“The K46.6 million was spent without Treasury authorisation to finance VVIP [very very important persons, mostly the Presidency] functions that are mandated to provide,” said Principal Secretary (PS) for Ministry of Information Erica Maganga.
She said necessary supporting documents such as payment vouchers were issued and “all accounting procedures were followed.”
The government uses UNGA trip in New York, United States of America to reward political loyalists, traditional leaders and other hand-clappers to the ruling party and the funds in question were used to foot expenses for such groups.
Auditor General Stephenson Kamphasa queried PS Maganga why authority was not sought for using the funds.
Maganga said it was not possible to plan for all VVIP functions.
Director of information in the ministry of information Gideon Munthali said the unauthorised expenditure in the audit query was on UNGA and vice president’s local and foreign trips.
While Secretary for Industry , Trade and Tourism Ken Ndala said the K4.9 million unauthorised expenditure in his ministry was used to facilitate travel for three officers who attended the 2015 UNGA, saying the President might have requested Trade officials to travel to New York and they looked at the trip at “short notice.”
Malawians were infuriated with Mutharika’s having a jamboree delegations up to 80 per cent did not add any value to the team’s work at the assembly.
Commentators say there ought to be some measure of accountability and responsibility on the part of Malawi delegates.
Others protested that members of Mutharika’s delegation were using taxpayers’ money to enjoy themselves in New York while Malawians back home where reeling under a heavy tax regime and economic turmoil.
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ena anangopita withoit potifolio . konjoya basi acina kalista, ma galufriend a mabwana, mpaka 100. mudzi onse wa kwathu tilipo handede nde apa ndi kolapshoni hjeavy. shopping plus plus, mma hotela odhula , koma ena ndaaja zinawayabwa ndalama zaulele misonkho yathu mpaka dziko lose kumuona boyijoji wa wagging tail. SHITHOLE INDEED.ZABOOKA NDALAMA ZA MISONKHO YATHU KUZIMWAZA LEFT AND RIGHT. SHIIIITHOOOLE
These are the very attributes of a shithole nation. How can we provide better living conditions to Malawians if resources are abused like this?
I like the debate the shithole remark by Trump has generated. For once it has driven the majority of us to carefully examine ourselves if indeed we deserve or not the “shithole tag”. Rather than being angry with President Trump, most commentators are looking at why we are among “shithole countries” and what we ought to do to move out of the “shithole brand”.
Over a month ago we had heavy rains in Lilongwe that caused floods and damaged a lot of property. The Chidzanja Road that joins Biwi and City Centre was not spared. A few meters from Evangelical Lutheran Church as you are going to City Centre, the road crosses a stream. At the point where the road crosses the stream much of the road, especially the downstream shoulder has been washed away creating a large, deep, dangerous gully. The night this happened, I was driving from Area 23 heading to Area 36 taking the newly constructed road that branches off at Banja Loyera Parish, Chilinde. Upon reaching the intersection where the Area 23 road crosses Chidzanja Road there was a Police vehicle flashing rights advising motorists not to use the Chidzanja Road as it was badly damaged. I was relieved that at least someone was doing his job.
Our government was quick to respond. The following day the vice president visited the affected areas sympathizing with the flood victims. Two days later I drove on Chidzanja Road and noticed that no repair works are being done save for some drums supporting reflector tape placed on the side of the damaged road to warn motorists of the danger.
Fast forward to the present day, the drums and reflector tapes are still there and no repairs works have commenced. My question is, “are the authorities waiting for some motorist to fall into the gully before they can act?” For God’s sakes, this is an emergency! If it is a question of availability of resources, how many useless rallies that drain enormous resources whose aim is show us that some recycled politician(s) has/have re-joined DPP have we organized since the rains damaged the road? Is the stadium in Thyolo at this point so important that the danger this road poses to motorists pales to the benefits the stadium will bring?
We can ask ourselves what the non-shithole countries would have done in our situation. Would their leaders be parading recycled politicians at rallies to show their popularity? To be where they are, they planned, they prioritised and most importantly they implemented development initiatives that took them to the levels they are. Here we prioritize rallies above lives of citizens, the very citizens who pay taxes we abuse.
I am kind of disappointed with our journalists too. I was hoping they would write persistently, on the non-action by government to renovate the road instead they are busy writing about which recycled politician has joined which party.
Food for thought to those in power. Had we created adequate jobs, how many people would have left the country in search of employment elsewhere where they would be abused and called all sorts of names including “shitholes”. Had we managed our economy well, how many of our brothers and sisters would have been economic refugees in developed countries?
I yearn for the day when a considerable number of Malawians will be able to visit America and other developed countries as tourists not as part of a bloated UNGA delegation misusing tax payer’s money.
There is nothing the govt can do since loiters are the same people in control…. One should wonder how much an ordinary Malawian gets per month yet someone swims in extravagance spending game… Who are these people to flock like swam of hungry locusts to spoil Malawi peanuts? Relatives and friends?
ok
Now that this is the situation, what next? Will Mutharika be forced to pay back or who will be responsible for this mess.
Each and every government department is porus kaya Peter akuona ndikukaika watopa ndi ka wine