MEC commissioners’ contracts: What’s in it?
Commissioners of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will take home about K2.8 million in gratuity and a top-of-the-range Toyota Landcruiser VX they will buy at 90 percent less the cost price, The Nation has established.
MEC commissioner Mary Nkosi, in her interview with Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee (PAC) last week, alluded to the fact that she wanted to resign from the electoral body following the Constitutional Court’s findings that faulted MEC, but stayed put because her legal adviser advised her against the decision as she risked losing her gratuity and benefits.
According to the March 2015 revised Conditions of Service for MEC Commissioner, they were entitled to gratuity at the end of the term. The gratuity is pegged at 15 percent of the total earnings of honoraria for the tenure of office.
The conditions of service show that MEC commissioners were entitled K400 000 monthly honoraria while the chairperson drew K550 000 per month.
The total earning for each commissioner at the end of the term in June 2020 would be K19.2 million and 15 percent of the accrued amount would be K2 880 000. The MEC chairperson would walk away with K3 960 000.
The commissioners are expected to pay 10 percent for Toyota Landcruiser vehicles bought for them in 2016.
A former senior officer at MEC said in an interview that in some cases commissioners would offset the gratuity with the 10 percent of the vehicle.
According to the conditions of service, the commissioners were also entitled to K10 million loans to buy one duty-free motor vehicle for personal use. The loan was to be deducted within the four-year period.
The chairperson and commissioners also get K15 000 and K10 000 sitting allowances, respectively, telephone and internet allowances of K20 000 and K15 000 for the chairperson and commissioners, respectively, and $250 and $200 for chairperson and commissioners.
The commissioners were also entitled to VIP Masm cover for themselves, spouse and up to four children and two dependants.
Further, the commissioners and the chairperson were entitled to 300 and 500 litres of fuel per month respectively, K50 000 and K60 000 hospitality allowance, respectively, and K400 000 and K500 000 furniture allowance at the beginning of each term of office.
The eight MEC commissioners also enjoyed monthly domestic servant allowances of K30 000 each, an armed police guard, three security guards and burglar alarm system for security as well as utility allowances of K30 000 for the chairperson and K25 000 for the commissioners.
