By Deogratias Mmana:
The Ministry of Tourism has instituted an internal investigation to trace who may have leaked information to our sister paper Malawi News which, in its November 9 to 5 2024 edition, published an article titled ‘Wasteful’.
In the article, the newspaper exposed purported wastefulness in the ministry.
The ministry’s principal secretary Chauncy Simwaka has since issued a memo to employees in the ministry to provide any information to him of an officer they think may have leaked the ministry’s expenditure plan for September 2024.
The plan, according to the story, exposed four planned international tours for some officers—costing over K100 million for air tickets and allowances
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The communication has the headline ‘Request to respond on weekend Times news against Ministry of Tourism’.
Reads the communication, dated November 15 2024 and signed by Simwaka: “Reference is made to the news article in the Malawi News….
We suspect an officer from Tourism Department shared and discussed a tourism expenditure plan for September 2024 with a reporter from the publication.
“You are therefore requested to furnish this office with the following information: “Who you think submitted this to the journalist; what do you know of this story? How the news came to your knowledge?”
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The communication further says: “Your response should come to my office by Monday 18th November, 2024 not later than 14:00 hours. Be advised that this submission has to be treated as personal and confidential.”
The expenditure plan, which Malawi News exposed, showed that the officials put the exchange rate for their external allowances at K2,000 to one United States dollar when the official exchange rate is at K1,751.
The international trips planned for September 2024, as prepared by the Chief Tourism Officer Ian Musyani, include London [England], Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
According to the expenditure plan, which Simwaka approved on September 25 2024, the total expenditure for the trips is K244.9 million.
There was also about K173 million from the Reserve Bank Holding Account as payment for service providers during tourism campaigns.
Sources within the ministry said sending two officials on such tours was enough and added that for the countries that have tourism attachés, there was no need for officers to travel from Malawi.
In the story, executive director for Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Willy Kambwandira blamed the ministry for the wasteful expenditure at a time the country needed forex.
At that time, Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule said she was busy and suggested commenting later.
