Parastatals fail miserably on asset declaration
The annual declaration report on compliance by listed public officers for the 2021/21 financial year shows that those in state-owned companies have ranked the lowest when it comes to compliance to the Asset Declaration law.
In the report, which Times 360 Malawi has seen dated 12th April, 2023 signed by ODPOD Director General Michael Chiusiwa submitted to the Minister of Justice, the office bemoans low compliance by parastatals.
Parastatals that have scored a zero on compliance include Lilongwe Handling Company, Medical Council of Malawi, Malawi Housing Corporation, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and Green Belt Authority.
Other parastatals that have scored low on compliance are ADMARC (5%), SFFRM (11%), National Audit Office (30%), CFTC (23%), Cannabis Regulatory Authority (27%), ESCOM (42%) and MACRA (43%).
Meanwhile, the report has noted a 100 percent compliance rate by the Presidency and cabinet including Members of Parliament. According to the report all cabinet ministers and their deputies including all the 193 Members of Parliament declared their assets as of 30th April, 2023.
The report furthers say 456 out 463 ward councillors have also declared their assets, representing a 98 % compliance rate.
ODPOD has since attributed the good performance to the intervention by the monitoring committee of Parliament which has been summoning non-compliant listed public officers during the declaration period.
ODPOD spokesperson Tiyamike Phiri says the asset declaration assessment report has since been submitted to Parliament.
“Yes, I can confirm the release of the report and we have since submitted it to Parliament,” she said.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Monitoring Committee, Joyce Chitsulo, has acknowledged receipt of the report, and said her committee will summon all government departments that have failed to comply with the Asset Declaration law.
Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira has called for action on non-compliant public institutions and officers.
“The compliance rate is encouraging, and we are also pleased that the executive and law makers are leading by example on compliance. However, we expect the relevant Parliamentary committee to take action against non-compliant listed public officers as stipulated by law. Again, ODPOD needs to move from mere declarations. We have noticed a lot of under-declaration by some listed public officers and this defeats the essence of this law,” he said.
Just the other day, Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe named publicly the worst and best performing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in 2022 in which Admarc, NEEF and Blantyre Water board topped the list of the worst performing SOEs.
