Govt firm on domestic revenue target
Parliamentary Cluster Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Climate Change has expressed concern that money meant to support environmental programmes is sitting idle at Treasury.
Government has since 2019 been collecting carbon levy of K5 per litre on motorists and every year generates about K1.3 billion for the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources to use in fighting climate change.
Speaking on Monday in Lilongwe when the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change appeared before the cluster to explain its plans for this year, the cluster’s co-chairperson Welani Chilenga expressed disappointment that Treasury has not surrendered the carbon fund to the ministry.
He said: “Treasury must tell Malawians the truth about the carbon tax. They must not cheat Malawians that the money is to mitigate climate change effects yet the ministry is not being given the funds.”
Chilenga called on the Ministry of Finance to release the funds as soon as possible. The cluster also asked Treasury to submit a report on carbon tax fund.
In an interview, Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change director of administration Hillary Namainja conceded that they never received carbon tax funds from the Treasury.
“We have not received anything. We were told that K2.5 billion would be released to our ministry but up to now nothing has been done.
“What is surprising is that in the 2022/22 National Budget, we have only been allocated K500 million.”
Natural Resources Justice Network chairperson Kossam Munthali yesterday said there is a need for the government to account for the carbon fund.
“Malawians need to know how much has been collected and how it has been spent,” he said.
Climate change has made weather-related disasters more frequent and devastating, dialling up calls to invest more in reducing the occurrence and severity of the shocks.
This year, Tropical Storm Ana battered most of the Southern Region districts, displacing over 80 000 households and killing over 40 people.
In March 2019, when Cyclone Idai hit, about 867 000 people in 15 districts were displaced and over 59 killed.
The country is still struggling to raise $375 million for recovery from Cyclone Idai
