Sports Ministry seeks K1bn budget increase

Parliament Tuesday deferred a Ministry of Sports and Culture bill seeking to revise its 2016/17 budget with over K1 billion.

According to the order paper, the  Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe was seeking Parliament’s approval to raise the financial allocation from K5 992 103 179 to K7 088 918 922.

After quizzing the Finance Minister to justify the increment, the House was not convinced with the response.

Minister of Sports and Culture was also not available in the House to help to out the Finance Minister, forcing the House to defer the vote.

People’s Party leader in the House,Uladi Mussa, also quizzed Gondwe why the Ministry of Sports and Culture was being referred to Ministry of Youth Development and Culture after the youth component was removed and is now under Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development.

In response, government officials said this was an anomaly which would be rectified.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Sports and Culture spokesperson Christopher Mbukwa said parts of the funds for the revised budget are meant for the newly constructed Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

“You may wish to know that the biggest project we have had over the years is the stadium, so, part of the money was either used or is meant for the stadium,” he said.

The spokesperson, however, said that the bill would be re-tabled in Parliament yesterday afternoon as legislators continued with the Mid-Year Budget Review deliberations.

“The bill has been revised so we are hoping that it will be passed this time around. It is necessary that the revised budget is passed so that the ministry can operate smoothly,” he said.