Malawi CSOs demand government expenditure reports

Civil society organisations (CSO) in Malawi have given government up to November 30 2013 to publish comprehensive expenditure reports for financial years running from 2011 to 2013.

The CSOs—which say the reports will give Malawians an opportunity to understand how their taxes are being used—have threatened nationwide demonstrations if government does not heed the call.

But government has asked the CSOs to use dialogue when raising such issues.

Operating under the Civic and Political Space Platform, the CSOs include Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Karonga dioceses; Church and Society Programme of Blantyre, Nkhoma and Livingstonia CCAP synods, Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) and the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).

The demand comes in the context of reports that Malawi is losing billions of kwacha through high level fraud and corruption involving senior controlling officers in government departments and ministries.

Activist Billy Mayaya told Nation on Sunday on Friday that they are demanding publication of names of payees in respect of public funds for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 financial years, including names of individuals or companies, cheque numbers and the service they rendered to warrant the payments.

Mayaya said it is surprising that civil servants earning as low as K50 000 (about $125) are building posh houses, lodges and cottages costing millions of kwacha without accessing loans from commercial banks.

“Where are they getting the funds? Some of them splash money in the streets as if they manufacture money themselves.

“Since these are public funds through various taxes imposed on people, it is important for government to be transparent and be accountable,” he said.

Mayaya said the demand is in line with Section 12(1) (b) (c) of the Constitution which reads in part: “all persons responsible for the exercise of powers of State do so on trust and shall only exercise such power to the extent of their lawful authority and in accordance with their responsibilities to the people of Malawi.”

Added Mayaya: “Therefore, we call for government to publicise all payments made between 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 with full details of payee, cheque number and the job they did for government. This will be for citizens to appreciate how the public funds have been used and see if there are fraudulent transactions.”

While acknowledging the relevance of the concerns raised by the activists, government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu said dialogue would give government and the CSOs the opportunity to discuss the issues.

“Petitioning and demonstrations are the resort for people under a government that doesn’t give room to dialogue. These are the same issues that this government has been tackling with various stakeholders before,” he said.