Congoma against government buying K1 billion vehicles

By Wezzie Gausi:

The Council for Non- Governmental Organisations in Malawi (Congoma) has said it is disheartening to note that government wants to buy 12 top-of-the-range motor vehicles for cabinet ministers and other senior officials.

Government recently disclosed that it had set aside K1 billion for purchasing 12 new motor vehicles for Cabinet ministers and their deputies as well as principal secretaries (PSs) and directors, amid budget cuts to critical social sectors.

In a statement issued Monday, Congoma chairperson Kossam Munthali advises government to put the plans on hold.

Munthali wondered by government wants to spend such “a huge amount”, arguing the country is failing to relocate and take care of people affected by the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

Munthali said it is ironic, insensitive and irresponsibility of the highest order to prioritise the welfare of the Cabinet against the needs of struggling Malawians.

“Wastage and misuse of vehicles is very visibly common in the public service. Several Cabinet ministers have lamented this trend before in which vehicles on account of minor repairs are abandoned in favour of new ones from donor-funded projects.

“Maintenance of these vehicles can save the government a lot more resources that can be channelled to other needs,” Munthali said.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa concurred with Congoma that it was a waste of resources to purchase more cars.

He said the country has serious problems ranging from shortage of fuel to the suffering that people affected by the cyclone are experiencing that need to be urgently addressed.

“As reported during the National Development Conference 2023, the civil service is characterised by sluggishness and an easy going attitude to work in which work processes are very slow with weak sanction regimes.

“With this attitude and work rate, the economy cannot be re-organised and no wonder the country performs badly in public service delivery and benefitting from international agreements and opportunities,” Kaiyatsa said.

The vehicles that government intends to buy include two Toyota Land Cruiser VXL executive station wagons for Cabinet ministers, two TXL station wagons for deputy ministers, four double cabins for PSs and four small wagons for directors.