BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—As Malawi government, under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership, is still failing to find ways of fixing the country’s ailing economy, reports indicate that the government is paying some embassy drivers more than unnecessary.
According to The Nation on Sunday, some chauffeurs are receiving $7000 (about K5 million) a month, yet President Peter Mutharika’s salary which is pegged at K1.5 million after attempts to increase it hit a snag due public outcry.
In an interview with the local paper, principal secretary for Foreign Affairs Dalitso Kabambe confirmed of the development but was quick to cite currency fluctuation as a reason for those working for Malawi missions to pocket huge salaries more than that of the president.
He said the drivers, who are employed as expatriates, on average are receiving $7000, but he hinted that some were even getting more.
The embassies include those in United States, Belgium and Japan.
“We have a scenario where a chauffeur of a diplomat is getting money than the diplomat he is driving and even the [Malawi] president,” said Kabambe as quoted in the Nation on Sunday.
Kabambe, however, said the government is removing from the service the highly paid foreign staff through the ongoing reforms which will also see the country recall some of its own diplomats.
As part of reforms in the foreign affairs ministry, government has recalled about 72 diplomats from its foreign missions in the past six months translating to savings of about K2.8 billion.
There are 19 Malawi foreing missions of which eight are in Africa, four in Europe, Five in Asia, one in South America in addition to the United Nations mission in New York, United States of America.
