By IOMMIE CHIWALO
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has chosen not to end the year in silence, it has spoken on various problems rocking the country that puts the nation moving in circles.
In its festive season message, CDEDI has expressed displeasure with continued problems such as fuel shortages, foreign exchange crisis and has since called on authorities to up their sleeves and rise to occasion in addressing the pressing matters.
Simply CDEDI is advancing for soul-searching and tough actions.
“CDEDI would like to dutifully urge the DPP administration to take advantage of the holidays to do some serious soul-searching and come up with desirable tough and timely decisions regarding the social and economic well-being of Malawians, good governance and the rule of the law,” reads part of the statement signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa.
Namiwa says, at this hour, all the administrative actions should be supported by clear key performance indicators (KPIs) on the ground to translate into tangible improvement of lives of the vulnerable and marginalised in society other than the current situation whereby most of the policies have disenfranchised the very same people they were meant to protect.
“That said, as the wise say ‘first things first’, government must come out clear and decisive on addressing the persistent forex shortages by coming up with drastic measures in arresting the problem of forex externalization currently being perpetrated by some top government officials, including Cabinet ministers,” he said.
He has also requested for a keen eye on import substitution, forgo luxuries and walk the austerity talk and ring-fence forex for raw materials as well as investing in innovative initiatives for the export market.
On fuel crisis, the CDEDI Chief says it is disturbing to note that there are continued erratic fuel supply in the country, notably in the cities and that the DPP government seems to have been equally captured by the cartels in the petroleum industry as there seems to have been no tangible action taken to improve the situation since NOCMA top management is still intact.
“Seriously, the lack of a complete overhaul of the system at NOCMA does not only undermine APM’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption, but also raises a serious question on the integrity of the country’s oversight institutions and those presiding over the same.
“It must be noted that CDEDI has presented tangible evidence to the authorities, including the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sighting issues of fraud and corruption in the fuel procurement,” he said.
Namiwa adds, “One such piece of evidence is a voice recorded testimony of the recent-past Principal Secretary (PS) for Energy, Eng.
“Alfonso Chikuni who was sitting in the NOCMA board. In the recording, Chikuni chronicled evidence on how NOCMA assisted State House and some politically-connected individuals to skin Malawians alive through dubious and exorbitant fuel deals”.
Namiwa however stressed on the need for tough decisions if at all Malawians are to experience the much needed economic transformation.
He has further expressed worry over disclosure that the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) owes NOCMA and the Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) over K1.4 trillion in non-remitted funds for the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF).
“As if this was not enough, the Roads Fund Administration (RFA) recently revealed that it is failing to maintain roads in the country due to non remittance of funds from the Road Levy for the past two and a half years that has accumulated to K218 billion. Given this scenario, CDEDI is of the view that Eng.
“Chikuni’s insistence to appear before the ACB should and cannot be ignored. Giving him the sought after opportunity to empty his chest will accord a rare opportunity to Malawians to trace and recover their hard-earned money,” said Namiwa while adding that his organisation has written the ACB Acting Director General, Counsel Gabriel Chembezi to do Malawians justice by probing the 51 million litres NOCMA procured from Kenya through Gulf Energies but the then Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola and NOCMA CEO Clement Kanyama hoodwinked the nation into believing that it was a Government-to Government (G2G) arrangement.
According to Eng. Chikuni, Gulf Energies was supplying fuel to Kenya at US$88 per metric tonne (MT) but the same company was charging NOCMA US$188 per MT for petrol and US$195 per MT for diesel.
“Simply put, Chikuni, Kanyama and Matola owe Malawians an explanation or two,”
The three-paged festive season statement also expressed reservations on the mishaps facing Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) saying if reports coming from the length and breadth of the country are anything to go by, then initiative has left a lot to be desired.
CDEDI, has since implored government to take a bold decision on ensuring food security in the country by investing in a local fertilizer plant in each of the country’s political regions to blend fertilizer, thereby realising the potential to push down fertilizer prices by investing in initiatives to blend fertilizer locally.
“It is strange that government spend billions on the fertilizer subsidy programme in September or October, yet six months later, the same government spend billions to provide relief food to the same people that received free fertilizer.
“That said, our strongly considered view is that it is time government abandoned FISP and invested in a fertilizer plants, and allow commercial farmers to grow maize that will be stocked in the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) for easy access by the majority food-insecure Malawians at subsidized prices,” suggests Namiwa.
Addressing Malawians on punitive taxes Namiwa is proposing of bringing in innovations that can help to increase tax revenue as opposed to burdening the
already overtaxed citizens.
“Additionally, CDEDI insists that the Mutharika administration should review all mining development agreements so that the country benefits from revenue from mining, instead of increasing taxes,” he said.
Namiwa adds, “Not to end without request for Chilima inquiry? CDEDI has described previous inquiries by Chakwera as a cover up saying the former President was setting up a dubious commission of inquiry whose report left Malawians with more questions than answers.
“It was a sham of a report, so to say, and
Malawians are looking up to Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango to do the needful and help Malawians, notably relatives and friends of those nine Malawians who died in that plane crash find a closure. A fresh probe is a must”.
Recently Justice Minister Mhango told national assembly that will come up with a recommendation once he goes through the inquiry reports. Majority are of the view that government must consider doing a fresh inquiry.