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Budget & Finance Committee of Parly to Pounce on MDAs for Failing to Execute Budgetary Obligations

CSAT Executive Director Willy Kambwandira: This is concerning CSAT Executive Director Willy Kambwandira: This is concerning

The 2019- 2020 National Budget ends on June 30th worth 1.911 trillion Kwacha from 1.84 trillion approved at Mid-Year.

But questions and concerns are now emerging with several projects yet to be implemented despite being allocated resources. This has repeatedly been attributed to a poor cash inflow. At mid-year review, Finance Minister, Joseph Mwanamvekha lamented that MRA is struggling to meet its revenue targets.

In this budget for example, Government allocated 500 million kwacha for construction of Mzuzu Airport, 10 billion kwacha for Construction of Likoma Jetty, another 10 billion for Construction of houses for security officers just to mention but a few.

Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency CSAT Executive Director Willy Kambwandira says this is concerning as it would mean carrying over such projects to the next budget.

“It is very worrying that we put money in budget but at the end of each and every budget year, we have unfinished and in some instances projects that have not started. It is our plea to MPs to follow with keen interest these allocations” said Kambwandira.

Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee of parliament Sosten Gwengwe says this begs the question of transparency and accountability of public coffers.

Gwengwe says his committee together with other relevant committees of parliament will track the failure to implement the projects.

“We have noticed that Ministry of Finance has time without number deviated from what we members of parliament pass. We will follow these allocations and make sure Malawians know the truth about the allocations” says Gwengwe

Members of parliament have two weeks to scrutinize the budget in clusters before they reconvene in the chamber to pass the budget.

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