The Daily Times of June 15, 2016 carried a leading story on the debate in Parliament and the two adjournments that followed. The issues under discussion that necessitated the adjournment were the ministers’ perks and (MPs) Members of Parliament’s conditions of service (a codeword for General Purpose Loans in this case).
In all fairness, if they were to display the zeal they exhibited while debating these two issues on hunger, poor health services, rural roads construction and maintenance, not many Malawians would still be poor today. Unfortunately what this zeal confirmed is that our servants, the MPs, the people who go to Parliament to represent us are interested in themselves alone and little about the people who voted for them.
How can one explain this behavior in light of the fact that on the same day The Nation Newspaper had published on page 24 the revenue performance report for May which indicated that Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) collected less revenue than targeted? MRA under collected by 12 percent and cumulatively due to the economic performance during the year the revenue body claims that it will miss its target by 5 percent since most companies struggled to make profits. So where the hell did these people think the government will get the money to give them loans? Since when did the government become a bank to give loans? The only bank that was owned by the government was sold off to Thom Mpinganjira. Is that the reason most of the MPs were against Goodall Gondwe when he told the house that MSB was going to be sold.
To some of us this is further evidence that too many of our elected representatives are self-serving freeloaders, who think they have a right to enrich themselves at the expense of their constituents. These are MPs who already have the privilege of importing two vehicles duty free when all of us pay heavy fees in duty on imported vehicles. These are MPs who had 50 percent of their principal on loans paid for by the public and these are the same MPs who pay 10 percent interest on the loans when all of us are saddled with punitive and exorbitant interest rates. It is now clear that the tradition of public service is dead in this country and that a new tradition has been born, the tradition of personal gain through the ruthless and manipulative exploitation of public positions.
The same day these MPs were complaining that their K1.1 million a month salary was not enough, there were medical assistants and teachers who would do anything go get that amount every month. There are civil servants who every month have to make do with the K45,000.00 daily sitting allowance that these MPs are entitled to.
Perhaps it is time to remind these MPs that they were not forced at gun point to become MPs. They chose this job and campaigned to get elected. Now that we have put them in these positions they want us to feel they are indispensable. If they believe that they are better off somewhere, let them resign and see how many more would take this level of remuneration and privileges without a second thought.
The irony of it is that on the same day, Ronald Mangani, Secretary to the Treasury, had a full page press statement in The Daily Times on the results of the food security assessment results. According to that statement a significant proportion of Malawians, 6.5 million to be precise (those who put these MPs in their positions), a significant 39 percent of the population will not be able to meet their annual food requirements. That translates into 33,679 people in each constituency facing starvation. The total cost of assisting these people is K148 billion and the Malawi government has only budgeted K35.5 billion. How do you expect the donors to fund the gap of K 112.5 billion when the representatives of these people do not seem to care! Are we surprised that donors are taking us to be a nation of jokers?
I know that some MPs continue to defend their financial rewards by arguing that they are “working hard on behalf of their constituents”. However, this is not supported by the empty benches in Parliament and the pictures of sleeping MPs. Hardly a sign of diligence on their part.
There is nothing wrong with debating their conditions of service with the Executive but threatening to derail the budget session for this reason is sickening. This abuse of the taxpayer has already gone on for far too long and its time some of these MPs were told the truth.
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