The government yesterday cancelled the intended purchase of furniture for the office of the Chief Secretary to the Government at Capital Hill worth K64 million, four days after Malawi News exposed the planned expenditure which many people described as extravagant.
The K64 million expenditure on C h i e f Secretary to the Government Lloyd Muhara’s office was exposed through a leaked letter asking for a ‘No Objection’ from the Director of Public Procurement dated November 17 2017.
The furniture included a massage chair for the Chief Secretary and a marble table
Last week, we independently failed to verify whether the furniture was bought but the government, in a statement signed by Minister of Information, Nicholas Dausi, announced yesterday that the purchase had been suspended indefinitely.
“A decision was made to refurbish the Office of the President and Cabinet complex building by replacing old carpets, ceiling boards, painting the walls and installing CCTV cameras for security of the government resources including equipment, and replacing the worn-out desks and chairs. It was planned to start repairing and refurbishing one wing of the Office of the President and Cabinet building which comprises several rooms including the Chief Secretary’s Office,” the statement reads in part.
Dausi says in the statement the planned refurbishment was aimed at improving the working environment in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
“The office complex has not been refurbished since 1975 and some parts are in poor condition. Funding for the refurbishment exercise was sourced from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development. The company awarded the contract is EQWIP Interior Works,” he says, without giving any reasons for the cancellation.
Even though Dausi says the office was last renovated in 1975, the fact is that the offices were renovated between 2004 and 2006 during the term of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika.
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