MPs demand Malata subsidy lists
Opposition Parliamentarians Wednesday took to task Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Atupele Muluzi, to furnish the House with a list of suppliers and beneficiaries of the Decent and Affordable Housing (Cement and Malata) Subsidy Programme.
The demand follows allegations that some ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) gurus are part of the list of suppliers of building materials for the programme.
Muluzi presented a ministerial statement in the House on progress of implementation of the programme.
Salima North Parliamentarian Jessie Kabwila told the House that there is lack of transparency and accountability in the programme as reports show that some DPP officials were also awarded contracts.
“We need a clear list of who has been given the contracts, which people are doing what and how many people have indeed benefited. It’s not enough for you to just bring people in the House and say these are the people who have benefited and that you have done a good job, said Kabwila who is also Malawi Congress Party legislator.
Another MCP MP for Lilongwe Mpenu Makala Ngozo queried the Minister for withholding information on how implementation of the programme is going on with funds approved in the 2015/16 financial year.
Said Ngozo, “What the Minister has told the House is how the programme has been implemented during the 2014/15 financial year but I am interested in the 2015/16 budget, what has been done so far.”
But Muluzi dismissed reports of alleged involvement of DPP gurus.
“All the information is within my ministry and is available,” he said.
Muluzi indicated that government is optimistic that funds permitting, it will achieve its goal of 15,440 completed houses by April 2016.
“A total of 6,948 houses, representing 45 percent of the houses have been improved and are at different stages of construction. Northern Region [has benefited] 1,524, Central Region 2,675, Eastern Region 1,506, Southern Region 1,243. At community level the programme, has recruited over 35,000 carpenters, bricklayers, guards and casual labourers as one way of dealing with rampant unemployment,” Muluzi said.
The Minister added that delays in approval of the 2014/15 appropriation bill and subsequent late funding contributed to some hiccups in the implementation of the programme.
Said Muluzi: “Technically we have achieved all this in less than 10 months and this explains why we were only funded K2.3 billion of which K489 million was for operations and K1,825 billion was for procurement of wooden components (doors and door frames, windows and window frames).
Muluzi also cited scarcity of timber as another challenge in the implementation of the programme as only a few suppliers were able to supply the commodity.
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