We will use resources prudently—Mutharika

Malawi President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday said his administration will try its best to maintain its goal of using the nation’s resources prudently.

Mutharika said during a press briefing at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, a few hours after he returned from a two-day Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Heads of State and Government Summit in Zimbabwe.

Although a communiqué read out by Information, Tourism and Civic Education Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa detailed key Sadc issues discussed, several of the reporters’ questions were on local accountability issues.

One question was on an apparent developing pattern of the President taking with him large delegations on international trips, as was the case when he recently travelled to the United States, before the Zimbabwe trip.

The other question was on whether, by hiring a private jet on the trips, the country was not paying dearly, as opposed to the use of airline commercial connections for Malawi delegations.

But Mutharika said some reporters and commentators had greatly inflated the numbers of the members of his delegation on both trips. He said some had even erroneously claimed that his delegations had been as large as over 50.

“I think we should be truthful…People should look at the facts,” he retorted, saying both delegations had a little more than 30 people.

The President added that he is surprised and dismayed that other people criticise him for having 22 advisers.

“I only have seven advisers,” he declared, daring his critics to cross-check the facts.

On the hiring of private jets, the President said his administrators and security experts will continue to advise him on the most prudent ways of travelling, including whether, in future, buying a presidential jet or other alternatives would be more helpful.