By Cathy Maulidi
Parliament has risen sine die after meeting for four weeks.
Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda has since described the meeting as a success, saying members of Parliament (MPs) managed to discuss issues affecting Malawians.
He said, apart from passing seven money bills, the House also tackled issues of national importance such as those of maize and tuition fees.
“It has been a great meeting of Parliament; we have deliberated on issues that are very critical to Malawians. Apart from passing bills and discussing reports, we also had ministers giving responses to reports.
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“We have discussed matters of national importance such as the issue of tuition fees in public universities, issues of energy, road infrastructure and the maize issue,” Chimwendo said.
Chimwendo Banda said MPs, including those on the opposition bench, brought matters that were pertinent such as the issue of expiry of national IDs.
“To me, this was a great meeting of Parliament,” he said.
On his part, Leader of the Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa expressed gratitude to MPs for their dedication and commitment to serving the people of Malawi and the people that they represent.
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“It is only through our collective efforts that we can address the challenges facing our nation and work towards a better future for all.
“During this meeting, we discussed a wide range of issues, including economic development and challenges, social welfare, education, agriculture, healthcare and governance, among others. Indeed, these were essential discussions aimed at positively shaping policies and legislation that guide our nation towards the future,” Nankhumwa said.
Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara also hailed lawmakers for dedicating their time to represent their people.
According to Gotani Hara, it is good news that the House started, for the first time, scrutinising money bills by referring them to the Budget and Finance Committee.
“This is a very commendable development. We will ensure that we do our constitutional obligation. This will go a long way in ensuring that loans that government procures are sustainable for our nation,” she said.
She also commented on the issue of absenteeism that took center stage during the meeting.
“May I also take this opportunity to appeal to you, members, that whenever I have summoned for any Parliament meetings, you should always endeavour to attend. My office will only accept absconding of a member after they have obtained leave of absence, which I have to approve. Failure to do so, is contravening our own standing orders,” she said.
