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| National |
| Masaf lays off 100 workers |
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by
Herbert Chandilanga, 01 February 2007
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11:51:49
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The Malawi Social Action Fund (Masaf) has laid off about 100 employees and closed its zone offices in the three regions, opting to centralise operations when about 362 projects countrywide are unfinished and in need of about K45 million for completion.
Fifty-three staff members whose contracts have been extended—ranging from directors to office assistants—are also in the dark on remuneration as they have only signed letters of intent awaiting government to duly offer them contracts.
According to a high ranking Masaf source, the staff also do not yet know their salaries, other benefits or whether people will negotiate packages individually or on group basis.
The source, who is among the employees whose contracts have been extended, said Wednesday the centralisation of operations has seen all but four justification officers lose their jobs. He feared that this can lead to mismanagement of cost over-runs by communities.
“Most of the projects have audit queries and justification of about 23 percent of the projects is incomplete. The decision to transfer all operations to the Lilongwe office and the absence of the justification officers, therefore, increases the chance that the cost over-runs may be mismanaged.
“The closing of zone offices has also not been well communicated to communities and many people are still flocking there to get assistance,” said the source.
Masaf director of resources and training Charles Mandala confirmed Wednesday that only 53 employees have had their contracts renewed but declined to comment further on implications of the centralised operations.
“Indeed, 53 have new contracts and there are about 362 projects unfinished. Most of the 53 will work at the Management Unit here in Lilongwe,” said Mandala.
The Central Region, according to our source, has the biggest number of incomplete projects at 108.
Phase three of the Masaf project started in 2003 and was divided into three parts known as Adaptable Programme Loans (APLs). APL I expired on December 31 last year.
But with two weeks to go before the end of the first part of the $220 million Masaf Phase III’s APL I in December, both the World Bank and government had not yet come up with any new contract that would see the commencement of APL II.
The Masaf secretariat in Lilongwe then wrote all its employees, whose contracts expired by December 31, 2006, notifying them that their contracts would depend on the World Bank granting an extension to its contract with Malawi Government which was also to expire by end of December.
But the World Bank later granted an extension to Masaf phase three which would see the continuation of the Adaptable Programme Loan (APL) One up to December 2007.
Sources indicated in December that government had for the last three quarters of the project failed to remit about K500 million counterpart funding, leading to the government’s failure to secure the extension of the APL arrangement.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Randson Mwadiwa declined to comment on the Masaf issues Wednesday, saying Mandala was the right person to shed light. |
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