Africa-Press – Malawi. The opposition benches in parliament wanted to push back the supplementary appropriation bill on Tuesday in the August House in order to asked government explain how it implemented projects on an extra allocation of K500 billion on previous budgets.
During previous reviews parliament approved K30 billion, but government ended up with implementing over K500 billion.
According to Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda the supplementary bill was to formalize the already implemented budget sum of K573 billion which was used to fund various government projects including disaster management, procurement of drugs and many others.
Chithyola Banda explained, “The Minister of Finance is hereby authorized, in the manner provided in the Public Financial Management Act, 2022 to direct payment out of the Consolidated Fund during the financial year ending 31st March, 2024, of not exceeding that amount in addition to the amount authorized by the Appropriation Act, 2023.”
But Democratic Progressive Party –DPP spokesperson on the bill and member for Blantyre City Centre Chipiliro Mpinganjira responded that he is unconvinced with both the amount and procedure used by the government side to propel that bill.
Mpinganjira pointed out that the problem is with misalignment of the budget, unfocused where everything including miscellaneous and other expenditures are questionable.
“We only know about K30 billion which the House approved, but where does extra K500 billion coming from?” Asked Mpinganjira.
We therefore, “Refuse to accept the supplementary appropriation bill of K573 billion.”
Additionally, UDF spokesperson on the bill and member for Machinga East Esther Jolobala accused and the executive arm of government of initiating over-expenditure, and asked to stop doing things of national importance behind closed doors.
Jolobala told, “We should not just be part and parcel of what government is doing, but should be participating to every decision made from the executive arm of government. We therefore refure to accept this bill.”
However, the motion on the bill went on to division, thereafter the government won and proceeded to pass the it.
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