Former ruling People’s Party (PP) has called for the immediate resignation of Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe for saying Presidential salary hike was proposed by former Malawi leader Joyce Banda.
PP Publicity secretary Ken Msonda in a interview with Media, said Gondwe is misleading the nation that the recent DPP salary hikes for President Peter Mutharika, his Vice Soulos Chilima, Ministers and Members of Parliament was proposed by former Malawi leader Joyce Banda during the party’s reign.
Msonda explained “We are extremely disappointed that the man we highly respected has turned into such a liar. From these lies which Hon Goodall Gondwe is saying it is clear that he is the one misleading the State President?”
“It is not true that Joyce Banda ever discussed salary increments for the State President, Vice President, Ministers and Members of Parliament. Malawians vividly remember that Joyce Banda donated 30% of her salary to charity.”
This comes amid pressure from the general public and the Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) demanding an explanation on salary hike of senior government officials.
The current government which has insisted on implement zero deficit budget is facing dubious economic challenges.
Msonda added that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administration has failed to set aside economic measures as those of PP.
“The corner stone of Joyce Banda’s Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) was expenditure control. That is reducing expenditure and that was why our economy started doing well.”
“When Banda was President she promoted 20,000 village headmen, surprisingly when DPP came in they dismissed all 20,000 saying there was no money to pay them,” added Msonda.
The country’s crisis has seen civil servants paying high rate taxes as one way of raising money by government. He lamented.
“We hear that Hon Goodall Gondwe is now challenging that government is collecting more money to pay the increased salaries for the State President, Vice President, Ministers and Members of Parliament.
Since government is collecting more money we plead with Hon Goodall Gondwe to pay all other government institutions demanding salary adjustments; ACB, Judicially, Teachers, the University Support Staff and Students as well as the Healthy sector.
“Otherwise if government is not able to pay these people, we call upon the immediate resignation of Honourable Gondwe.”
Gondwe told journalists last Sunday that government does not have enough money to meet the demands of the striking civil servants.
At the moment, workers at the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) have joined those at the Judiciary and University of Malawi (Unima) demanding a 70% hike in their salaries.
