Published data from the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declarations (ODPOD) show that about 3 262 listed public officers (LPOs), representing 17 percent of officials, defaulted during the 2024/25 declaration period.
The ODPOD report presented yesterday to Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee (PAC) in Lilongwe showed that of the 18 815 LPOs required to submit declarations, 15 553 complied by April 2025, translating to an 83 percent compliance rate.
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On the political front, compliance was reported at 91 percent with 28 out of 29 Cabinet ministers submitting declarations, leaving one minister in default and giving Cabinet a 97 percent compliance rate.
In Parliament, 185 of the then 193 members of Parliament (MPs) declared their assets, representing 96 percent compliance, according to the report.
However, among ward councillors, 98 of the 459 required to declare assets failed to comply, leaving compliance at 79 percent.
ODPOD director general Michael Chiusiwa has since blamed the weak legal framework for the office’s inability to directly punish defaulters, saying current laws only empower the office to recommend sanctions.
He said: “We are strengthening the powers of the director in terms of sanctions. We are also trying to strengthen the powers of PAC which is the monitoring committee of Parliament in terms of how it can enforce the law.”
Yesterday’s presentation further showed that government ministries, which account for seven percent of all LPOs, registered a 79 percent compliance, with the Ministry of Agriculture emerging as the best performer at 98 percent while the Ministry of Mining recorded the lowest compliance at 56 percent.
Local councils, which make up eight percent of all LPOs, achieved an overall compliance rate of 87 percent. Five councils attained 100 percent compliance, while Chitipa District Council recorded no declarations at all.
Regionally, the Southern Region, home to 5 749 LPOs or 31 percent of the national total, registered an 85 percent compliance rate.
In the Central Region, which accounts for 43 percent of all LPOs, 88 institutions achieved an 82 percent compliance rate.
The Northern Region emerged as the best-performing region with a 96 percent compliance rate, while the Eastern Region was the worst performer at 68 percent. The Malawi Prison Service recorded a 47 percent compliance rate.
PAC vice-chairperson Joshua Malango said the committee would ensure that defaulting officers face sanctions.
The Public Officers Declaration of Assets, Liabilities and Business Interests Act requires listed public officers to declare their assets within the first three months of the year or immediately upon assuming office
