Talking blues: There is enough to satisfy every one’s need but not greed
If you follow parliamentary proceedings, you heard our honourable parliamentarians demanding “implementation of conditions of service in full” or else, no budget.
To refresh your memory, in October 2014, ministers and lawmakers awarded themselves huge pay rises at our expense.
Ministers’ and Leader of Opposition’s pay checks soared to K1,608,000 from K600,000 per month, i.e. a historic rise of 168 percent on top of assorted benefits including fuel allowances of 1,000 litres per month and K350,000 housing allowance.
Deputy Minister’s salaries shot to K800, 000 from K428, 000, i.e. 87 percent with fuel at 1,000 litres plus a cushion of K250, 000 per month housing allowance
The 193 lawmakers’ perks skyrocketed to K600, 000 per month from K126, 000; i.e. an unprecedented 376 percent. On top of this, came 1,000 litres per month in fuel allowance and K350, 000 housing allowances.
Naturally, no-one bought the pretexts given for the hefty increments. But life went on.
Now, one would think after the hullabaloo that followed this scandal, since the economy is still with the dogs and is still deteriorating, parliamentarians would desist from adding salt to our injuries.
Not this lot.
Unsatisfied, they are at it again, grumbling, threatening to torpedo the budget and all, if their conditions of service are not met in full.
Have these MPs delivered anything in full, if I may ask?
They want loans under a facility called the General Purpose Fund (GPF) which entitles MPs to an emergency loan of up to K3 million apart from car loans and other allowances.
In principle, there should be no problem. MPs, like everyone else, can request and get a reference letter from their employer – Parliament – walk into a bank, and like we all do, apply for a loan.
The MPs are apparently willing to do this, with a but….
What they don’t want is the loan interest at rates that you and I suffer. They want the +34% interest subsidised by our taxes.
Allow me to paraphrase this.
While you part with over 34% when repaying bank loans, and while you pay taxes but get no drugs in hospitals and while your children are taught by disgruntled teachers paid their peanuts late; MPs – in this hostile economic environment – want, on top of their hefty salaries and cocktails of tax-free allowances, you to subsidise their loans.
They want to borrow money, but not pay the cost. Who will pay? You and I, they say, should carry that burden on their behalf.
What kind of leaders are these?
Check this: the supreme irony is that we are in this mess because of either the stupid laws they pass (e.g. endless borrowing without returns) or the pro-transparency bills they shoot down (e.g. the private member bill to unshackle the ACB).
I normally avoid quoting scriptures but on this, I can’t help it. The two-faced MPs’ semblance with the hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees, who loved making harsh laws for the commoners, laws that they themselves were not willing to touch with a ten foot pole, is nauseating.
During the very first session of this 2014/19 term, MPs demanded loans, or else no budget. They got the loans, like our local hero above got his desired Swiss Account.
The downside was that deductions decimated their take home pay and hence, they demanded larger than life increments.
The hefty increments were awarded, backdated to October 2014 to allow them take home respectable net earnings. So, akin to our local hero above getting a shiny red Ferrari, here they were, second demand granted.
But even after the treasury-busting increments, it appears many of them are so deep in debt that they are still taking home peanuts.
Lilongwe South MP Peter Dimba is a perfect case study in parliamentary poverty and pettiness.
“I have my pay slip here, I receive K600, 000 basic pay and after deductions I receive a net salary of K254, 000.”
What Dimba forgot to reveal is what he did with the loans whose recovery is why his spouse is questioning the ‘peanuts’ he takes home. With respect to his wife’s query, if she did not see the loan money, she is right in taking him to task.
But if she helped squander the funds, she has no business feigning surprise at the decimated salary because Dimba is now rendering to Caesar what is due to Caesar, hence the peanuts. And at any rate, going by his current net earnings, he does not qualify for the GPF loan, so he should have kept his mouth shut on this issue.
For MP Dimba and his greedy lot, I have some friendly advice.
And this is: after getting your two demands, stop there. Be satisfied. A third demand could come with consequences you may not like.
Look, even with what the MPs are calling peanuts, an alleged libidinous character amongst them was arrested last sitting on suspicion that he was chasing under-aged skirts. Although the charges were dropped, no-one in their right senses respect that guy anymore and although called honourable, for many he is the most dishonourable person walking the face of the earth.
My second piece of advice goes to the ‘saviour’ of the day, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, MP. Before the Leader of Opposition celebrates the rare credit for bringing sanity back in the House, let him ponder this:
If he really had things under control in the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in and out of Parliament, his boys shouldn’t be behaving the way they do. Their greed would have limits.
At the next Caucus, was I MCP leader, I would remind my legislators that in Malawi, even during this economic turbulence, there is enough to satisfy every one’s needs, but there isn’t enough to satiate every one’s greed.
Let those MPs whose net salary qualifies them, access the K3 million General Purpose Fund (GPF) loan at the banks, and shoulder the punitive commercial bank 34 percent base lending rate or more, like we all do.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
