Zero-aid budget difficult to implement—JB
Malawi’s former President Joyce Banda has expressed pessimism that the DPP administration would successfully run the country on a zero-aid budget considering that the national budget is largely dependent on donor aid to the tune of 40 percent.
Members of Parliament on Thursday passed the 2015/16 national budget presented in the August House by Minister of Finance and Economic Development Goodall Gondwe. The budget will be financed by locally sourced funds, largely through taxes.
Malawi has for many years largely depended on donor aid to finance development and other programmes until recently when donors withheld aid due to corruption and theft concerns.
In an interview published in The Weekend Nation of June 27, 2015, Banda said experience had taught her that when government engages donors and comply with all what they are asking for, they resume aid.
She was responding to a question about how she assesses her successor, President Peter Mutharika.
However, she said it will be up to Malawians to judge President Mutharika’s leadership.
Banda denied that recent resignations from her People’s Party (PP) by some senior members were a result of her being away from the country.
“In a democratic society like ours, anyone is free to belong to a political party of their choice. Similarly, anyone is free to leave any political party that they belonged to. It is beyond my control when members decide to leave PP whether I am in Malawi or outside the country. In any case, as the party’s name suggests, the People’s Party is not run by and does not belong to any individual,” she said.
In the interview, Banda also tackled the issue of the DPP government having weakened her security by withdrawing security apparatus.
What a failing govt i hav nevr seen,manyazi mulibe zoona the whole District Hospital kuipatsa 2 million, koma kwao Ku Thyolo DHO fundng nkuwapasa K35 million zooona and yu call this one a good President and his govt????
fail to run ve gvt.
if you said that j b a thief!!what do u mean?sanapangepo bugdet yopanda ndalama since 2012.zoona anthu akulu akulu ngati inu,kulephela kupeza ndalama zogulira mankhwala mzipatala?koma zapa 6 july mulinazo.ngati inuyo muli madolo,phwanyani plan ya 6july ndalama zake zithandize nzipatala.no mafuta a ma amburace,chakudya,mankhala ndi zina zambiri bt ur bizy kusunga zapa 6 july.zitithandiza zimenezo koma….aaah ine nde ndakaika….
Nkgumba ina yatchula za aphunzitsi. Please osatiyamba dala ife tokha, ndiboma lokhali likutikwezera salary as promised
Mpafuuuuuuuu….azungu andituma kuti….komaso waombera mphwiyo nditomuziwajee…and my husband is the finest lawyer in Malawi..nanga bwanji muli yandayanda kuthawa? Kasambala akukudikirani kuno mama cashgate engineer.
If I hate my fellow comentators, there is no body other than cometators like Clemnt. And your a fool in a poorest breed. Why backing up this idiot JB. When that thing inherinted presidency, the whiteman trusted her and all the taps were opened. Unfortunately she is fool who failed to control cash from account number one.Soon after cashgate scandle, all the taps were closed until DPP came to power. The why are shielding this female idiot, coward, parrot and senseless and crook women. I mean the type of christian who praise the Lord only when things are working for… Read more »
I’ve always argued that we’ve a bunch of educated savages who look at things subjectively. Take it or leave it zero-aid budget is a non-starter. malawi cannot do without donor aid. firstly, how many malawians pay tax to contribute towards budget? just a handful excluding most noise makers on this column. DPP wil always try to pretend things are working while in the actual sense they r not. I agree with one of the few very objective commentators development requires a lot of forex which we fail to generate looking at explrtation against importation. Budget is indeed just paper work,… Read more »
It is evident in Economics 101 that a country can only grow from activities emanating from its development budget.What the zero aid budget kills any attempt for the economy to grow.This should be of concern of all malawians-whether those that belond to DPP,PP,Unity party or those of us that belond to MCP.This is common sense and I am saddened to see some headless thoughts being propagated on this forum when the people that will be affected by this obvious lack of growth are those of us are in the country.It will be worse for the ordinary villagers who have nothing… Read more »
Very true after she stole all the finances. Stupid lady.
we already know Zero aid budget is difficult to implement, but that’s what Govt has as of now. No use to cry over spilt milk. It is difficult in short term but will teach us a few lessons of better financial management, prudence and responsibility in the near future. Donors should not play yoyo with Malawian people. let them assist at the their