Reduced funding hits PSs perks
Reduced funding to government ministries and departments has affected personal emoluments for most principal secretaries (PSs), a development that is slowly frustrating the controlling officers, The Nation has established.
Some PSs have gone months without getting their monthly fuel allocation, a development some said is paralysing their operations.
While Treasury spokesperson Nations Msowoya confirmed the development, he suggested major ministries such as education, agriculture, health and finance “have not been affected.”
He said: “The problem is the current reduced funding to ministries and departments which has largely affected smaller ministries and departments.”
PSs get their fuel allocations from ministry funding such that the current situation which has seen funding cut to lowest levels ever, has a direct bearing on their perks.
Several PSs confirmed on condition of anonymity that some of them last received their 500 litres of monthly fuel allocation in November 2013, while some have had no fuel since January 2014.
“We literally have to use personal resources to run government work,” said one senior PS.
Another added: “This is obviously frustrating because these are our benefits as stipulated in our contracts with government.”
Malawi has over 65 PSs manning about 24 ministries—a situation that has seen government spending more than K400 million (US$982 800) in potential annual savings, according to our calculations.
Available figures are such that above a K490 000 (US$1 204) salary, each of the 65 PSs currently gets 500 litres of fuel or K426 700 (US$1 048) worth of fuel to run their official vehicles. This translates to K27 million (US$66 339) a month or K332 826 000 (US$817 754) a year.
If there were 24 PSs corresponding with number of ministries, the annual total would be K122 889 600 (US$301 940).
According to former vice-president Justin Malewezi, who also served as Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) or Chief Secretary to Government as they are called these days, an economy the size of Malawi would do well “if the Executive considered having ministries we can afford.”
