MPs want Malawians to benefit from govt business

Karonga Central member of Parliament Frank Mwenifumbo (Independent) on Friday proposed a deliberate clause in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Bill that will enable 40 percent of government businesses to go to indigenous Malawians.

He said this can help create jobs and boost the country’s economy.

Mwenifumbo was commenting on a proposed amendment Bill number 41 of 2016 that seeks to decentralise the Office of Director of Public Procurement (ODPP)

He said there is no way Malawi can grow if most of the procurement is done by non-Malawians who are not investing in the country.

“There is no way Malawi can develop if Malawians are being sidelined in doing business with government,” Mwenifumbo said

According to the legislator, creating more jobs will depend on how many indigenous Malawians are able to do business with government.

Said Mwenifumbo “Let’s give a chance to indigenous Malawians to invest in their own country; this will set the pace for more investors in the next generation to follow. I am calling for all hands to be on deck for the nation’s development and let us depoliticise development projects in the country’’

Commenting on the Bill, Malawi Congress Party spokesperson Enos Chatata said his party is not comfortable with giving the President more powers to appoint the Director of Public Procurement, saying this would compromise the independence of the office.

Finance, Economic Planning and Development Minister Goodall Gondwe has since referred the Bill back to relevant committees for further scrutiny.