House passes K2.852 trillion budget

Parliament yesterday passed the 2022/23 Mid-Year Budget which has slightly increased the national budget from K2.839 trillion to K2.852 trillion.

Both government and opposition members of Parliament (MPs) supported the upward revision of the budget by K12.381 billion.

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe commended the MPs for passing the budget, saying government will ensure financial discipline in government institutions.

“I am happy that we can now legally spend the money that has been approved. And we ask the MDAs [government ministries, departments and agencies] to spend within their limits because that is important that they do not go beyond what has been allocated,” he said.

The minister has since asked government institutions to ensure that they embark on projects as soon as they are allocated finances for projects, saying delays in implementing projects has led to the developmental budget being reduced.

Gwengwe also said although the budget shows an increase of K12 billion, it has actually shrinked considering issues of devaluation and inflation.

In her remarks, Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament chairperson Gladys Ganda said the passing of the budget is a good development and there is need for institutions that have been allocated resources to put the resources to good use.

However, she lamented that some increments in the votes exposed poor planning by government institutions, adding there is need for them to improve on planning.

Said Ganda: “The new allocations for salaries could have been properly planned. You cannot just wake up one day and think of employing people. That could have been done earlier on. For instance, Malawi Police Service you have an increase of about K8 billion and Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources you also have K2 billion increase for salaries.

“Apart from the normal adjustments that happened due to devaluation and increase of salaries, people are being employed. It is something that government never planned for in the first place.”

She added that the Budget and Finance Committee and other parliamentary committees will play an oversight role to ensure that resources are put to good use.

Although MPs approved all votes and the budget passed, the legislators had problems with the allocation for Malawi Prison Services and the status of the country’s prisons in general.

The MPs condemned the state of prisons and called on government to invest more in prison infrastructure and promote large-scale farming for prisons to fight food shortages in prisons.

The MPs were not happy with an increase of about K1 billion in the budget for Malawi Prison Services when the country’s prisons are congested and facing a food crisis.

The Prisons budget has increased from K15.04 billion to K16.03 billion.

Parliamentary Defence and Security Committee chairperson Ralph Jooma said one would have expected a bigger increase to ease pressure on challenges that prison inmates are facing.

Thyolo South West MP Chimwemwe Chipungu (Democratic Progressive Party-DPP) also said the increase in the budget for prisons is not significant.

“There is need for more cells but also improve the toilets. Our brothers in prisons are living in a very pathetic situation,” he said.

Zomba Lisanjala MP William Susuwele Banda (DPP) said with the food crisis in prisons, government should have allocated more resources to adress the situation.

Zomba Central MP Bester Awali (DPP) expressed concern that with maize prices skyrocketing, the allocation to prison will not be enough.

He also called on government to ensure that money that prisons generate from various activities should be used by prisons and not deposited in Account Number 1.

Rumphi West MP Yona Mkandawire (Independent) called on government to empower prisons so that they produce their own food, saying there is vast land that inmates can cultivate if they are given farm inputs.

On the other hand, Mulanje West MP Yusuf Nthenda (DPP) also called for the empowerment of prisons to producing their own food.

“We have been talking of hunger situation in our prisons for years. There is need for a budget that can see them produce their own food,” he said.

In response, Gwengwe admitted that there is a huge infrastructure deficit in prisons. He said there is need to start mobilising resources for infrastructure in prisons.

On food shortage, the minister said government has allocated K780 million for food rations which should serve the prisons up to March next year.

First Deputy Speaker Madalitso Kazombo commended the MPs for putting in effort to pass the budget.

Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda also commended the MPs for passing the budget and the First Deputy Speaker for chairing the House.