Taxpayers are footing a K650 million bill to construct two new houses for the country’s Vice-President in a move critics have described as insensitive and an insult to Malawians facing economic hardships.
Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs’ Public Sector Investment Programme documents show that government has identified land for the construction of an official residence for the Vice-President in Mzuzu and a lakeshore cottage in Mangochi.
The documents show the projects are estimated to cost K650 million and so far, government has spent K199.8 million.
In the 2022/23 National Budget, government has allocated K300 million towards the projects and, according to the documents The Nation has reviewed, the implementation period is from July 2021 to June 2023.
But Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat) executive director Willy Kambwandira in an interview on Thursday said in the spirit of observing austerity amid economic hardships the country is facing, the two projects were better left than initiated.
He said proceeding with the projects will reduce to mere lip-service the austerity measures President Lazarus Chakwera unveiled last month.
Kambwandira said: “There is an urgent need to bail out the economy and construction of the State residences is not a priority. These are projects where taxpayers’ money is wasted through corruption, overpricing of project materials and kickbacks.
“This also tells that the budget consultations are not well done, otherwise this item could not at all get priority in the national budget.”
In a separate interview, consumer rights activist John Kapito said it does not make sense for the government to construct such State residences at a time existing ones are not being maintained and are in dilapidated conditions.
He said the government is not being sensitive by proceeding with such projects when the country’s economy is wobbling and Malawians need cushioning.
Kapito said: “Malawians are cursed. No one understands our priorities. Who would think of constructing State residences at a time when the economy is a mess and there is no hope for economic growth.
“Government is now broke, why borrow money for such useless projects? Malawians are bleeding and they need instant cushioning and yet we think of financing such projects.”
Both Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe and the ministry’s spokesperson Taurai Banda could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
On the other hand, National Planning Commission public relations and communications manager Thom Khanje promised to get back to The Nation.
Efforts to seek a reaction from Parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee chairperson Gladys Ganda yielded no results as she did not pick up our calls on several attempts while Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Principal Secretary Winford Masanjala could not be reached.
Currently, the country’s Vice-President is allocated an official State residence in Area 12, Lilongwe and “free guest houses in Blantyre and Mzuzu”, according to the Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act. However, while there is Mudi State residence allocated to the Vice-president in Blantyre, there is none in Mzuzu.
On the other hand, the President has six State residences, namely Sanjika Palace in Blantyre, Zomba State Lodge, Mtunthama State Lodge and Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, Mzuzu State Lodge and Chikoko Bay State Lodge in Monkey Bay, Mangochi.
But despite the State residences having annual allocations that also include renovations, they have recent years been in dilapidated conditions which has led critics to question the allocated expenditures
Critics have also proposing to the government to sell some of the State residences on the basis that they are draining public resources through maintenance.
In the 2022/23 National Budget, the State residences have been allocated K14.5 billion. Initially, legislators wanted the budget to be hiked by an additional K8.1 billion, a proposal that was rejected by Parliament’s Committee of Supply.
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