Tag Archives: CAMA’s executive director John kapito

Agriculture, Malawi

Consumers body calls for independence forensic audit on AIP mess

Maravi Post Reporter
Chakwera fired Lowe for AIP mess

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA) has asked President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government to swiftly come up with financial intelligence investigation on Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) mess.

In an interview with Maravi Post on Sunday, October 30, 2022, CAMA executive Director, John Kapito said that Chakwera simply confirmed what was already in the public despite disclosing names of the beneficiary of the stolen money such as suppliers and Bankers.

Kapito said Malawians expect President Chakwera to have already triggered the legal process to hold various individual and institutions that facilitated the illegal transaction.

He said Chakwera should hold Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), treasury and financial intelligence Agency accountable for being accomplices in the illegal transaction of that denied poor Malawians access to affordable fertilizer.

He observes that the blames can not be held to the minister only as no cabinet minister can travel without President knowledge.

Kapito said Chakwera missed an opportunity to tell the nation what he is doing to stabilise the economy including issues to do with forex, fuel shortage, high cost of living, closure of ADMARC, high unemployment levels and among others.

He adds that the President should take an example of Late Magufuli who stopped his international trips which helped him to restore his country’s economy.

He therefore reminded Chakwera that Malawians who is addressing now are the same who he addressed during his campaign and they deserve honesty.

Meanwhile, Malawi Parliament has established a joint committee which is set to inquire all stakeholders and the former minister of Agriculture on the matter.

Business, Malawi

Kapito’s CAMA demands fuel levies removal as Energy Minister Matola pushes for Parliament action

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA) has asked President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government to remove fuel levies for the betterment of Malawians.

In a statement made available to The Maravi Post, CAMA’s Executive Director John Kapito observes that Malawians are already contributing a lot in levy through electricity bills, water bills and petroleum fuels.

John Kapito for consumers rights

Kapito said poor leadership has blinded Chakweras regime as it has brought in kwacha devaluation that has affected the countries economy.

He said government was aware of the fuel hiking globally and their was not need of devaluating kwacha .

Kapito claims that Malawi is only pleasing the IMF empty promises making Malawians poor.

He said Chakwera need to trim his Cabinet to minimise the expenditure and stop favoring his family and friends for the sake of the countries Citizen.

Recently Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority(MERA) announced the hiking of fuel prices which has brought in different views from several stakeholders.

But Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola told The Maravi Post during the Face the Press on Friday, June 24, 2022 in the capital Lilongwe that as policy holder can not just scrap the levies without Parliament approval.

Matola however justified other levies on fuel including road, rural electrification are key to national development.

“As much as we know that there are many levies on fuel, we cant just removal them as some contribute a lot to our local development projects. However, its the role of Parliament to review the levies, ” says the Minister.

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) hiked fuel by 34 percent as as follows effective June 23, 2022:

Petrol: MK1 999 from 1380 (44.92%)
Diesel: MK1920 from K1470 (30.61%)
Paraffin: MK1236 from K956 ((29.29%)
LPG: MK2 956 from MK2500

Malawi

Malawi consumers body tells Chakwera to trim, reshuffle cabinet

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s consumers bosy, Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA) is calling President Lazarus Chakwera to trim and reshuffle his cabinet and reduce the number of his Presidential Advisors .

The grouping says the call is for Chakwewra to share the current economic burden being experienced by many Malawian who happen to be taxpayers funding most of the Government projects and activities.

In a statement made available to The Maravi Post on Monday, January 24, 2022, CAMA’s Executive Director John Kapito said for President Chakwera to trim and reshuffle his cabinet and reduce the large number of Presidential Advisors is to prioritize our tax payer’s money to more important sectors such as Health, Education among others which are currently facing serious challenges like lack of essential drugs and poor infrastructure.

Kapito said taxpayers reject the idea of paying taxes that are only meant to benefit friends of the President whose main description cannot be explained and justified.

He said the president have a bloated cabinet that is inefficient and does not add value to the taxpayer.

The consumer body boss observed that the taxpayers money should be prioritized to Economic Growth Sectors that can grow the economy

“It’s wrong and a sin to collect money from the poor in the form of taxes and share that money to appease few selected friends of the President.

“We are requesting you Mr. President to merge most of these Ministries and put them under your office or that of the Vice President and managed by efficient Directors and in return we expect to see an improved cost effective delivery of services,” said Kapito

He said Chakwera should also reduce his frequent travels both Local and International these many travels continue not to add value to Malawians.

He also asked Chakwera to take a moment and think about the suffering of many poor Malawians that contribute and pay taxes while they are going through so much economic pain and imagine their pain when such resources are only abused or shared between your best friends and family.

He remind Chakwera that he need to practice the very same good things that he preached during election campaign which was premised on Servant leadership which he seem to have forgotten.

It’s close to two years Chakwera In office but he has not reshuffled his cabinet not even once despite him promise Malawians during campaign that he will reshuffle his cabinet after six months.

Meanwhile, President Chakwera is expected to address the nation on Monday, night.

Business, Malawi

Malawi consumers body condemns World Bank for pushing electricity tariffs hike

Lloyd M’bwana

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BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s consumers right body Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) condemns in strongest terms the comments made by the World Bank demanding an increase on electricity tariffs.

CAMA says Word Bank needs to understand that matters related to electricity tariff increase are handled through a Regulatory Body and that the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) conducts consultative meetings with all key stakeholders before a tariff is approved.

The consumers body outburst comes bare two days after The World Bank advised the Malawi Government to consider increasing electricity tariffs to make Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) financially sustainable and attract investment in the power sector.

The bank made the recommendation during the launch of its latest Country Private Sector Diagnostics (CPSD) report for Malawi which Vice-President Saulos Chilima officially launched on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 in the capital Lilongwe.

But in a statement made available to The Maravi Post on Friday, October 29, CAMA’s Executive Director John Kapito observes that World advise has no basis and unjustified.

Kapito observes that “The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority takes into account key economic and social fundamentals when conducting and reviewing tariff increases. While advice is accepted from all stakeholders including the World Bank, it is important for such advice to come through appropriate channels and platforms.

“We would have appreciated the advice from the Word Bank if it was done through the Ministry of Energy and the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority in Camera other than creating speculation and confusion on prices of goods which might be triggered by an anticipated electricity tariff increase”.

He added, “The methodology for electricity tariff increase is done through a transparent legal framework using the Energy Regulatory policies and Act guided by MERA, and through the use of such guidelines MERA is able to determine a tariff that is economically and socially good for ESCOM and Consumers.

“There are a number of considerations that MERA puts in place and key among them is to ensure that ESCOM operations are sustainable and also the consideration of environmental issues and ensuring that supply of electricity to Malawian Consumers is affordable and this is based on a cost recovery tariff.

“The World Bank unfortunately, is only using one single consideration which is opening up the market for other electricity generators and distributors to enter the Malawi market without taking into account how a higher tariff would hurt Malawian Consumers.

“The credibility of the World Bank throughout the world and especially to poor countries like Malawi has been pathetic where most of the policies and advice have ended up creating poverty amongst citizens. Malawi is different from the developed countries where tariffs of a strategic product like electricity cannot be left to market forces and we don’t expect the World Bank has the integrity to educate Malawians regarding general prices of goods and services on the market,” says Kapito.

He argues, “We would wish to appeal to the World Bank to stop engaging and confusing Malawians in the name of providing advice and wish if they conducted their various activities in providing advice to our leaders in Camera other than wishing to humiliate Malawians by conducting public press conferences that may trigger unnecessary anger and misunderstandings”.

Titled The Road to Recovery: Turning Crisis into Economic Opportunity, the World Bank report examines opportunities and constraints in four key sectors of energy, digital infrastructure and services, transport and logistics and agribusiness.

The bank identifies the four sectors as key areas where private sector solutions can create or expand markets and make substantial contributions to development impact.

Agriculture, Malawi

Malawi consumers body demands removal of FISP from National budget

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) on Monday, September 28, 2020 asked President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government to remove Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) from the 2020/2021 national budget arguing that the initiative has not benefited Malawians.

The consumer rights body observed that over the years Malawians have been burying into the ground billion of kwacha’s in the form of subsidized fertilizers that have not provided any meaningful interventions to Food Security

CAMA adds that the program has been proved to failure to make Malawi Food Secure.

In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post signed by CAMA’s Executive Director John Kapito said the program is heavily politicized.

Kapito thinks that the program has reduced Malawians capacity to think and develop sustainable food security interventions that would also have an impact in the reduction of food pricing

“While Government has differed a number of promises it made during its campaigns we wish also to request Government to differ the implementation of Farm Input Subsidy Program from the budget. The current Farm Input Subsidy Program is another wastage of resources that Malawi can’t afford to be burying under the ground.

The only beneficiaries of the Farm Input Subsidy Programs over the years are the Manufacturers of Fertilizer and Seed, the Importers and transporters of the Farm Input Subsidies while the intended beneficiaries have remained food insecure,” reads part of the CAMA statement.

“The 2021 Farm Input Subsidy Program is so huge at almost 160 billion Malawi kwacha which if properly used and targeted to key economic growth sectors such as Tourism, Mining or Contract Farming can benefit the very same people that the Farm Input Subsidy Program has failed to produce over the last 15 years.

“The Farm Input Subsidy Program though now operating under a new different name is a program that is marred with a lot of corruption.We had expected the new Administration to have noted that and ensure that they don’t repeat the wastages of Public funds by continuing with such a corrupt expenditure where both the choice of suppliers and quality of the farm inputs are suspected to corruption and poor quality,” he said.

Urges Kapito, “We are urging the current Administration not to copy and paste the very same mistakes and corrupt practices that were done by the previous Administrations.We strongly believe that the new Administration can do things correctly and differently”.

The country’s leadership is yet to respond on CAMA’s demands as currently Parliamentarians are in the August House for budget seating.

There has been also call for Tonse government to have universal subsidy than targeted farmers that in the current national budget about 4.5 million farmers are expected to benefit from the program.

Business

Malawi consumers body unhappy with MACRA response on internet tariffs reduction

Maravi Post Reporter
Reduce-Data-Cost must fall

By Taonga Sesani

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) on Friday, July 24, 2020 expressed displeasure at the response from Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) over the reduction of internet tariffs.

Earlier the consumers rights group wrote to communications regulator over an alleged rights in mobile tarrifs.

A statement made available to Maravi Post signed by CAMA’s executive director John Kapito said the consumer rights group is concerned with the high cost of the internet and voice bundles that Mobile Network Operators (MNO’s) are charging consumers.

“For a long time Malawi consumers have been paying the highest tarrifs and research shows that consumers pay highest charges for data in the world,” reads the statement.

Kapito said in the statement that CAMA wrote MACRA to give justification as why Malawian consumers pay the highest tariffs but the response has been very disappointing.

Despite several studies the regulatory body don’t believe that the cost of internet tariffs are high hence they have asked CAMA to provide evidence against the continued complaint.

The statement further reveals the reason why technology is not growing saying that only few consumers have access to these services compared to other countries.

“We have noted that the majority of learners are unable to go online and continue with their education because of the high cost of internet bundles,” said the statement.

And the statement demands for the reduction of internet bundles and the removal of expiry dates on internet bundles which it says its unfair and unjustifiable that internet bundles should have expiry date

Business, Top News

Malawi’s consumers’ body cautions politicians against politicizing fuel pricing ahead of May 21 polls

Maravi Post Reporter

By Patience Abeck

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has cautioned politicians against politicizing issues of fuel prices ahead of the country’s May 21, 2019 Tripartite Elections.

CAMA’s executive director John kapito observed that during electoral campaign, politicians make false promises concerning how they will reduce the prices of fuel once voted into power.

On the other hand Kapito faulted government for the tendency of attributing any decline in fuel prices to itself in order to gain political mileage.

Kapito said issues of fuel prices are not handled by politicians or government rather the petroleum industry itself using the trends that dictates the global oil market.

“As we are approaching elections, fuel prices at the international level do not know that Malawi is having an election, therefore anything can happen at any time so politics must be taken away from how fuel prices are done.”

He added that if it happens that fuel prices goes up or down along the way, government must always respond to any changes on the international market without any fear of losing an election.

“All the mechanics in the price build-up must be respected. I must highlight here that it is not government that buys fuel rather it is the industry that buys and puts the product on the market

“The buyer which happens to be the industry itself must be able to get back its money, therefore no politics should apply,” says Kapito.

Malawi goes into polls in two months time on May 21.

 

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