Minister for transparency in statutory corporations
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has called on board members and directors of statutory corporations under his ministry to build a clean image for the corporations and promote transparency and accountability.
He said this in Blantyre yesterday when he met board members and directors from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority ( Macra ) , M alawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) and Malawi Di g i tal Broadcasting Network (MDBN).
The minister said most statutory corporations under his ministry do not have a good image.
Said Kazako: “They are known for abuse of office, syphoning money, nepotism, partisan politics, deceiving Malawians, use of vulgar language and so on. The Tonse Alliance government doesn’t want to be associated with that.”
On management of financial resources, the minister said it was sad to note that instead of making profit, most parastatals are draining government resources. He called on the board members to make sure the parastatals are run as businesses.
“We should not be running these institutions as charity organisations, they need to stand on their own. We cannot keep going to Treasury to ask for money to run public institutions, no,” said Kazako. running these institutions as
He reiterated the call for a human resource audit in the parastatals to ensure that only those that are needed remain.
Kazako further called on the board members to ensure that transparency, integrity and accountability prevail in the parastatals through review of policies and running the institutions on the public interest, not personal interest.
In his remarks, MBC board chairperson the Reverend Vasco Kachipapa said the institution has already conducted a human resource audit but that it lacks financial resources to pay off those whose services are no longer needed.
MPC board member Wilkins Mijiga insisted on a bailout, saying post offices globally are struggling financially.
He faulted the decision to sell the Malawi Savings Bank which left the corporation with no financial base, but suggested that parastals that are making profits should assist those that are struggling.
To this, the minister urged the MPC board to move with time and look for other financial avenues and continue to be relevant.
On the board’s rejection of Godfrey Itaye as MPC director general, Kazako said: “I think that is the matter that is being dealt with by the board and certainly we are engaging and we will see how it ends
