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| National |
| Bingu speaks tough on corruption |
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by
Zainah Liwanda, 31 August 2004
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10:40:57
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President Bingu Wa Mutharika on Monday re-affirmed his zero tolerance stance on corruption, especially in public institutions, warning that his government would continue to track and punish public figures involved in the practice.
“A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds. I have decided that actions speak louder than words. From now, it will be action, action and more action,” said Mutharika, attracting applause from both sides of the house.
The President was speaking at the opening of the budget session of the National Assembly at the New State House in Lilongwe whose theme is “Keeping Our Heads Above the Water.”
He said corruption is a cancer that is affecting prospects for economic growth and that corrupt practices are predominantly evident among people in positions of trust such as government ministries, departments, statutory corporations, among others.
“I wish once again, Mr. Speaker, Sir, to warn these public figures that my government will continue to track and punish them. I have declared war against selfishness and corrupt practices in public institutions as an important way of ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes,” said Mutharika.
The President pledged to continue strengthening capacities and performances of the Attorney General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Directorates of Public Prosecutions and Procurement to effectively curb corruption.
“The 2004/2005 budget will prioritise the work of these institutions so that my government achieves its objective of rooting out corruption in this country. Those that profited from corruption will no doubt hate this move, but those who are clean will welcome it,” added Mutharika, attracting even more applause, especially from the opposition.
The major issues in this year’s budget according to Mutharika are good governance, economic planning, stabilisation of microeconomic conditions, fertilizer subsidy, public sector investment programme, institution capacity building, cotton development project, irrigation, tourism, public health, transport and HIV/Aids.
On the credit scheme that he promised during the campaign, Mutharika said he has increased the amount of the facility to K800 million (over $7 million) instead of K500 million as a means of improving incomes, especially of the rural population.
He said the scheme would be administered through existing micro-finance institutions that have branches and agencies throughout the country.
“Mr Speaker Sir, I wish to confirm that my government has now formally decided to establish this credit facility. However, Mr Speaker, Sir, having been in government now for some three months, and having studied the needs of the rural community more closely, I have decided to increase the amount of the facility to the sum of K800 million, instead of the K500 million that I mentioned during and after the campaign period,’ he said.
On public servants’ salaries, Mutharika said government has reviewed salaries and conditions of service for public servants, including judicial officers, civil servants, the Police, Armed Force, Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers and Traditional Chiefs.
He said he has approved recommendations to increase salaries of lower grades in the civil service, arguing that the last time these salaries were increased was in 2000.
“Mr Speaker Sir, an important aspect of our economic growth strategy is to have a dedicated and proficient public service. Therefore, in line with the need to make the public sector more efficient and effective in its delivery of goods and services, government has reviewed salaries and conditions of public servants,” said Mutharika.
He, however, said in reviewing remuneration levels, government will consolidate salaries and allowances of public servants into one salary, which will also apply to Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers.
Mutharika further explained that the salary increments would be phased over the next few years to avoid erosion of the real salaries by inflation.
On fertilizer subsidy, Mutharika assured that 50,000 metric tons of fertilizer would be accessible to targeted smallholder farmers through a voucher scheme to about two million farming families.
He said the poorest of the poor would get 25kg of fertilizer free of charge in exchange for a voucher.
“Government has decided to subsidise fertilizer under the Expanded Targeted Input Programme. The budget has made provisions for this but we shall also need donor support for this very important scheme which will improve food security in this country,” he added.
He said unlike previous agricultural inputs programmes where the donors funded the bulk of the fertilizer subsidy, this time the greater part of the programme would be paid for by Malawi government.
“This programme is only the first step in a drive towards reducing the cost of agricultural inputs. The present programme therefore should be viewed as a pilot project and I have instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to explore other avenues in order to bring down the price of agricultural inputs,” he said.
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