By Wezzie Gausi:
Accountant General (AG) Henry Mphasa has committed to release K2 billion to retired soldiers to go towards pension and death gratuity arrears.
The government has been owing retired soldiers the sum of K2 billion for pension and death gratuities.
Due to delays in payment, the soldiers threatened to start holding vigils at Capital Hill from today.
Mphasa told The Daly Times that they were committed to releasing the funds.
He said the issue had been long overdue, hence the decision to release the funds at once.
“The government is always committed to see to it that we pay all our arrears. It is our hope that most arrears should be cleared by the end of this financial year,” Mphasa said.
However, in a memo dated September 20 2024, signed by Lilongwe District Commissioner Lawford Palani, the AG’s office promised to pay K1 billion only on Monday after stakeholders met and resolutions were made on the matter.
He said the AG was committing to start payment of K1 billion out of the K2 billion pension and death gratuities arrears on Monday, September 23 2024.
“That there will be another meeting between the representatives of ex-soldiers and the Accountant General at the Accountant General’s conference room on October 16 2024 to discuss [the issue of] when the remaining K1 billion will be paid.
“That there should be regular communication between the representatives of the ex-soldiers and the Accountant General on any new developments concerning payment of their pensions,” Palani said.
It is against this background that it has been resolved that ex-soldiers’ intended vigils be postponed.
