High hopes on 2024/25 National Budget

With only four days to go before the presentation of the 2024/25 National Budget, there is a clash of interests between members of Parliament (MPs) and civil society leaders on their expectations of the budget.

This emerged on Saturday when the Ministry of Finance held two separate consultations with the Parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee and leaders of civil society and non-governmental organisations in Mponela in Dowa District.

In her input, Budget and Finance Committee chairperson Gladys Ganda said the committee expects a budget framework which prioritises development over consumption.

She said the committee also expects a budget framework that will be aligned to President Lazarus Chakwera’s agriculture, tourism and mining strategy.

Ganda said the financial blueprint must demonstrate that government is willing to walk the talk on spending cuts.

“We need to see a budget that speaks the same language with the State of the Nation Address, especially on agriculture, tourism and mining. The budget must also be aligned with Malawi2063,” she said.

Ganda also backed proposals to increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K100 million to K200 million, saying the fund has proved more effective in providing solid community development than District Development Fund.

Member of the committee Ken Kandodo, who is also Kasungu Central legislator, said government must plan on finding a way to produce fertiliser locally.

“Year in and year out we face shortage of fuel and fertiliser. Have we given a thought to find a way of producing fertiliser locally? If we do not sort out this, we will continue having problems,” he said.

In his response, Secretary to Treasury Betchani Tchereni said there are discussions with some investors willing to provide fertiliser to Malawi and be paid in the local currency which was much better than paying in foreign currency.

He assured the committee that the budget framework is likely to have a significant increase in the development budget.

During their turn, CSOs raised a number of issues some of which were against the expectation of MPs.

National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said the expectation is that when government talks about economic growth, it must translate to improved livelihoods.

He also called for transparency and accountability in public finance management.

Kondowe further said it appears on infrastructure development the government was doing more than it can manage, leading to delays to conclude projects.

Activist Emma Kaliya trashed proposals to raise CDF, saying this should only happen after an assessment on the effectiveness of the fund.

“There is a call to raise the CDF from K100 million to K200 million. Is this fund really making a difference?

“We need an analysis and ascertain if it’s really working. We should not just allocate more on the assumption that this is working,” she said.

On his part, Youth and Society executive director Charles Kajoloweka argued against the proposal that recruitment of workers to Israel should involve MPs, saying this is a recipe for disaster.

“The programme must be insulated and protected from both the perception and reality of politicisation. We run the risk of politicising the entire programme.

“The programme must be left to a competent government ministry and agencies, including local councils,” he said.

A delegation report presented in Parliament on Thursday proposed that recruitment of workers should be constituency-based.

In his remarks, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola Banda said he was happy with the quality of input both from MPs and leaders of CSOs.

“While the framework may not take on board everything, at least some of the suggestions will be included,” he said.