PAC hits at government
Public Affairs Committee (PAC), an interfaith human rights watchdog, has accused Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of diverting from its commitment to economic prudence.
In a strongly worded statement released yesterday and co-signed by chairperson the Reverend Felix Chingota and publicity secretary Father Peter Mulomole, PAC, among other things, has taken a swipe at government for allegedly taking to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) a team of over 100 delegates amid calls by President Peter Mutharika for international assistance over the problem of hunger in the country.
Reads in part the statement: “We have noticed policy contradiction in recent weeks that has awakened the conscience of Malawians to question the integrity of government.
“A decision to travel to UNGA with over 111 officials, as reported, of whom some are simply party officials and sympathisers. The conduct is a fundamental departure from the correct position of enhancing financial discipline at a time millions of Malawians are suffering.”
In the statement, PAC has also questioned strides made in the Public Sector Reforms Programme, including scraping of Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations to save K1.9 billion as a measure of removing unnecessary expenditure in the education system.
But PAC observes that such gains were being taken away by actions of the same Executive branch of government.
Reads the statement: “Claims that the current regime may lack vision and direction could safely be sustained for the recent revelation [about the size of the delegation to UNGA] throws the whole public sector reforms initiatives into disrepute.”
The PAC statement comes amid criticism from a wide range of sectors that drew a defensive statement from Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation George Chaponda who earlier told The Nation that the President only approved less than 30 officials for the trip.
For his comment, Chancellor College-based political analyst Blessings Chinsinga laughed off at PAC’s statement describing it as having no ‘consequence’ in the absence of ‘credible threats’ attached.
He, however, urged government to walk the talk on reforms that it has engaged in, saying the spirit of reforms should be visible in the way government conducts its business.
In the statement, PAC also addresses several issues, including the disposal of a 75 percent government stake in Malawi Savings Bank (MSB), handling of Section 65 by the government, corruption, fraud and financial discipline and frequent power outages.
