2015/16 Budget Revised Downwards By 23.7 Billion

Gondwe being led into the Chamber

To  embark  on  the  policy of  fiscal consolidation,  in  view  of  dwindling available  resources;  Government has decided to revise downwards the 2015/16    approved  budget by  K23.7 billion  from  an  approved figure  of K929.7  billion.

This means total budget for 2015/2016 will be K906.0  billion.

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Goodall Gondwe announced this in the National Assembly when presenting the budget review for the first half of 2015/2016 financial year.

He said in the next second half of the financial year, Government propose  to reduce  the  Recurrent  budget  by  just over  K17.1  billion and the Development Budget by sum of K5.6 billion.   

He said this  will  entail  that  for  the coming  months,  the  Treasury  will withhold  resources  that  are  intended for filling vacancies especially reducing the bloated” Civil Service.

He went on to say that in reducing Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) the Cabinet  has  decided that  the  Treasury and  the  OPC  should  review  the various  perks including  travel,  vehicle and  fuel  entitlements  that  could  be scaled down.

He said the proposed reduction includes the development  budget through a suspension  of  a  few  projects  that  can be  removed  without  major impact  on economic  growth. 

He noted that there has  been  no significant  over  expenditures on budgetary performance vote by vote adding that the  performance  of  the budget  this  year  has  been better  than before  except  for  the  projected expenditure  on  FISP. 

On FISP he said the expenditure  relates to  the imports  of  fertilizers,  deep depreciation  of  the currency and the cost  of  procuring  fertilizers. He added that Government also shouldered other costs on the seeds for the programme since donors  declined  to  contribute  to the seed  subsidy whose  total  cost  is estimated  at  K9  billion.   

Among others on Budgetary performance, Finance and Economic Planning Minister Goodall Gondwe said total  revenue  and  grants  that  were targeted at  K386.1  billion  at  the  end of  the  first  half  of  the  2015/16 financial year  were  under-collected by K50.8  billion while Domestic  revenues that were  targeted  at  K312.4  billion fell  short  of  this  amount  by  K12.7 billion  down  to  K299.7  billion.  

He informed the House that although  a number  of  taxes performed  well,  the VAT  underperformed  considerably  by an amount  of  K5.6  billion. In  parallel, grants  performed  even  worse where the  target  of  K75.3  billion  was  under performed  by  K36.5 billion, less than half this targeted amount.

He therefore expressed need to strengthen  efforts at raising  domestic revenues  and  to  down  play  all  donor grants  in general  and  only  expect  to focus  more  on  development  loans from donors as a reliable mode of donor aid delivery.  

He however casted hope that Government is invigorating policies that aim  at  becoming  progressively,  more self-sufficient  in  budgetary matters than  has  been  the  case  so  far.

House Adopts Proposal To Change Act On ACB Appointments

The National Assembly has adopted a motion that seeks to amend section 5 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act with resistance from Government side.

The motion which came under Private Members' Business was moved by Honorable Member for Lilongwe South West, Peter Chakhwantha proposing amendement of the section so that powers to appoint and fire Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Director General and its deputy be moved to the Parliament and not the President as it has been long practice.

Chakhwantha moved that “In order to ensure total independence and tenure of office of the Director and Deputy Director of the Anti Corruption Bureau ACB, this House resolves that an Amendment Bill to amend Section 5 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act be drafted forthwith and presented for consideration in this House by the mover of the Motion in liaison with the relevant competent experts before the end of the Meeting specifically the Bill must amend Section 5 (1) of the cited Act to provide for the appointment of both the Director and Deputy Director by the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament based on merit and through an open recruitment process and that the Director be reporting and answerable to Parliament through the Public appointments Committee”

The motion got overwhelming support by most opposition parties and some independent legislatures whilst Government side opposed any alteration of the provision.

There was also division of votes which lead to the row call where each member of parliament was voting if they want mover of the motion to continue to windup his motion or not. The Government benches voted no while the opposition members voted yes. But at the end of this voting opposition won with 75 votes while Government side got 67 votes and there were 51 absentees.

Speaking in  an interview after the motion was adopted the mover, Honorable Peter Chakhwantha said was excited at last that the process to the independence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau has begun.

“The motion was all about trying to help the members of staff of Anti-Corruption Bureau particularly starting from the top to the bottom. We know that since 2005 this country enacted the law to establish an office which is supposed to be a watchdog over all government institutions and private individuals is issues of embezzlement. 

We know that corruption is evil, but the only way we can manage eradicate corruption is by driving the change. Having worked with ACB before, I came to their conviction that we need to start with creating room for the Director and Deputy Director then to the rest of members to feel and independent working environment. 

He said he in consultation with other opposition parties including his party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are ready to make the drafting of the amendment bill before the rise of this 2nd Meeting of the 46th Session of National Assembly.

“So what has happened is that the members of the August House have agranted me as a mover of the motion and those who are willing to help me to come up with an amended bill so that we are able to proceed with such an amendment to have the Director of ACB to be reporting to Parliament instead of current scenario where he reports to President as well as to be appointed by the Public Appointment Committee so that even his job security is well secured." He said 

"You have witnessed a number of times where president come in and fire Director of ACB simply because they feel he is not one of their own, so with this motion we feel we must protect ACB and make it absolutely independent.” added Chakhwantha

Kaliati Ordered Out Of Parliament Chamber

Speaker of the National Assembly has ordered Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati to get out of chamber for calling clerk officers by their names.

Patricia Kaliati was forced to get out of Parliament chambers for calling by name one of the parliamentary clerks who sit closer to speaker.

Speaker of Malawi National Assembly, Richard Msowoya was forced to invoke Standing Order 105 to the Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare for failure to comply with first warning made by the speaker that no member shall again call the clerks.

After ordering her out of the chamber the speaker told house that Hon Kaliati continued to call one of the clerks by name against the order.

In an interview with Power 101 Kaliati said the decision by the speaker was personal and political

Kaliati is expected back in the House on Friday 

Her eviction came when the House was debating on the Private Members' Business motion from Honorable Member for Lilongwe South West.

The motion which has been passed was asking the House to allow amendment to Section 5 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act be drafted forthwith and presented for consideration in the House by the mover of the Motion in liaison with the relevant competent experts before the end of the meeting to provide for the appointment of both the Director and Deputy Director by the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament based on merit and through an open recruitment process and that the Director be reporting and answerable to Parliament through the Public appointments Committee.

The legislature said this is in order to ensure total independence and tenure of office of the Director and Deputy Director of the Anti Corruption Bureau ACB.

House To Debate Motion On Industrial Hemp Legalization

Legislature for Ntchisi North, Boniface Kadzamira is expected to make history on Thursday 25th February, 2016 as he is expected for the first time to move a motion in the National Assembly which is asking Government to legalise and allow cultivation of Industrial Hemp.

His motion is listed among three motions appearing on Order Paper begining Wednesday under Private Members Business earmarked for Thursday business.

The Motion Reads; “That considering the enormous economic, medical and nutritional value industrial hemp has, this House resolves that Government should legalise the growing and usage of Industrial Hemp and that both at policy and legislation levels, Industrial Hemp must be recognized appropriately as an agricultural cash crop for industrial distinct from other cannabis varieties”

Speaking in an interview, Kadzamira said he wants this matter to be debated in the House; passed and the motion adopted so that Government should start to look again at laws which prohibits the cultivation of the hemp.

“I want to emphasies that Industrial Hemp is not Chamba, it is like Chibuku beer and Thobwa. So Industial Hemp cannot be smoked” he said

The cash crop, is the sister plant to marijuana but health experts say it won't get one high when one attempt to smoke it because athough hemp and marijuana are both from the cannabis species, hemp contains virtually no THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.) Its THC level is less than 1%, whereas marijuana may contain between 5 - 15%.

Industrial Hemp seeds are pressed for oil that can be used for food including salad dressings, supplements, among others and industrial lubrication, diesel fuel, paints, varnishes and many more.

Legislature Kadzamira Says Industrial Hemp Can Save Forests

Ntchisi North Legislature continues to advocate for the legalization of Industrial Hemp, through the National Assembly following Wednesday’s remarks that the best answer to the accelerating depletion of trees and forests in the country due to charcoal burning industry and need for wood and timber is to start cultivation of Industrial Hemp.

Kadzamira

Honorable Kadzamira remarks on Wednesday came when contributing to the debate in the House on the Report of the Delegation to the 3rd Inter-Parliamentary Hearing on Exemplary Forest Policies in Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya from 30th September to 3rd October, 2014 by the Honorable member for Chitipa South

Honorable Kadzamira told house that the country will reduce the need to cut down of forests once people begins substituting hemp fiberboard for timber and that a decent income to be realized from cultivation of the cash crop also will help poor families from cutting down trees as means to earn a living.

“We have tried everything but we are not solving the problem” said Kadzamira in an interview after his contribution in the House, “I was suggesting that we can use communities around mountains and forests to engage them in Industrial Hemp farming because advantage of Industrial Hemp is that we can make a lot of products from Industrial Hemp.”

Garments made from Industrial Hemp

“Our forests are depleting because people are just cutting down trees in order to earn a living; to sell charcoal and wood for a living. So I was saying we can protect our forests if we engage communities around the forests into Industrial Hemp for farming. 

This Industrial Hemp can be used for paper, wood, fibre, and for everything. In that way people will stop wantonly cutting down trees, because they will have something to use in order to earn a living. I was putting across a suggestion to government to employ that measure.” He said 

As measures to replenish the environment through re-forestation and more awareness of importance of planting and protecting trees are underway, on the other hand poor families are increasingly cutting down trees and invading forests in order to get wood, timber and burn charcoal to earns them little income.

These varieties of products were made from hemp

With incessant wanton cutting down of trees in Malawi for charcoal, wood and timber, mostly by vulnerable poor families to earn a living, Industrial Hemp seem to be the viable solution because the hemp which is also a cash crop can be used to obtain same products made from trees and other wide range of durable construction materials and health products.

If Malawians begin to grow the hemp as cash crop, farmers will earn good income and save the trees because there is likelihood that this will lead to establishment of more manufacturing industries that will use the crop to produce wide range of products.

Industrial hemp is known for quality products including: all types of paper products from tissue paper to cardboards; food made from the hemp seeds which contain a protein that is more nutritious; Hemp seed oil can be used to produce non-toxic diesel fuel, paint, varnish, detergent, ink and lubricating oil and the list is endless.

Industrial Hemp Products 

On farming part, the hemp can indeed save trees in the country because it is ready for harvesting only 120 days after it is planted while it takes years for trees to grow until they can be harvested for paper or wood. As well, Industrial hemp can also do well in Malawi because the hemp can grow on most land suitable for farming. 

It is estimated that on an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton and that 1 acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2 to 4 acres of trees. Unlike other cash crops, Industrial Hemp triumphs on the fact that it does not require pesticides and herbicides in the production but only moderate amounts of fertilizer.

No More Arrests: Mw Govt Assures Legislatures

Business back to normal on Wednesday 

The Malawi Government has assured members of Parliament today afternoon that law enforcement agencies will follow National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act where none of them will face arrests while Parliament is meeting.

Government assurance come as a response to yesterday request by the Speaker, Richard Msowoya who following arrests of two MP's also top members of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) adjourned the House early and said these arrests threatens immunity of everyone including himself and that the House will meet once assurance was granted by Government.

Members of Parliament enjoys special privileges and immunity except when it is the case of Treason. The two MPs Jessie Kabwila who was arrested on Monday evening from National Assembly meeting and Peter Chakhwantha who handed himself to Police on Tuesday were being accused of Treason following Whatsapp conversation.

Kasaila

"It is the commitment of the Government that we will make sure the provisions of that Act in as far as the procedure are followed as to the Law. That is important for us and that is important for the future of our country." Assured Francis Kasaila- leader of House

"As Government, am giving that commitment and that is commitment of president as well, that the provisions of the Act will be followed" guarantees Kasaila

However, at the beginning of making this assurance the Leader of the House indicated that during the Business Committee meeting held in the morning, it was agreed and clear that provisions of Privileges Act have been violated on several occasions and that this violation was not first time.

Also Speaker of the National Assembly, Richard Msowoya informed the House at the beginning of the sitting today that the meeting of Business Committee of the House in the morning was assured of the immunity and privileges of the members of the Parliament.

He therefore said the meeting resolved that Speakers office should be informed on arrests of members of Parliament inline with Section 4 of the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act.

"From now onwards, the Speakers office will expect the authorities not to arrest members of Parliament while Parliament is meeting, unless, procedures has provided the following Powers and Privileges Act and section 60 of the Constitution is adhered to" said Msowoya further informing the House that members of Parliament have been requested to write to Speaker's office of any violation of this regard

"My office will write to the Ministry of Home Affairs and International Security advising her that the mounting of roadblocks and arrests of members of Parliament while Parliament is meeting should not be repeated unless the relevant laws are provided.

I wish to assure the House that Parliamentary Committee on Privileges will be handling matters related to the bleach of members of Parliament Privileges as provided for in its mandate"

Immediately after the assurances were made, Leader of Opposition also rose to agree that the business Committee did agree not to proceed with the motion on Yesterday for the sake of harmony and progress in the transaction of the business of the House.


Chakwera discribed the agreement as "best interest of our nation"


And owner of the motion, legislature for Liongwe North East, Maxwell Thyolera said "Assurances from Government must be adhred to"

Motion from Lilongwe North East Legislature which asked the House to deliberate on the arrests of two legislatures, Jessie Kabwila on Monday and Peter Chakhwantha who handed himself to Police on Tuesday on Treason charges, triggered the ruction in the House on Tuesday evening where both Government and opposition side had different opinion whether it was necessary to debate on the motion

Hon Thyolera complaint was that the arrests of the two was in bleach of members immunity and privileges as well feared that this could happen to anyone.

Ruling after house resumed sitting after an hour of house suspension, Speaker Richard Msowoya expressed his concern that there are arrests of MPs yet the house had assured the members of their immunity following reports that on yesterday there was a roadblock mounted by police just outside of the Parliament Building.

He mentioned that just like all members of Parliament are afraid of being targeted, he himself is afraid.

He therefore ruled that until such a time Government will come and assure the Speaker and the Whole House of their immunity, he adjourns the House till Wednesday at 2pm.

The ruling brought an uproar in the house with discontent from Government side and jeering from opposition members.

There were also exchanging of words as the members were leaving the House.

However, Government Leader of Businesses, Francis Kasaila rubbished the ruling saying the speaker as head of an executive arm of Government was in better position to assure the House of members immunity.

Kasaila further said Speaker was also supposed to consult with heads of Government and hot rush to make such a ruling.

He made it clear that there is no any other assurance that Government could make since the matter at hand is to do with Treason which does not give immunity to any member and that police can effect an arrest at any time.

National Assembly Demands Members Immunity Assurance: House Adjourns Prematurely

Speaker of the National Assembly demands assurance from Government of the immunity to himself and all legislatures and adjourns the House till tomorrow at 2 pm following springs of arrests Government is making to members of Parliament. 

The early adjournment of the house followed a heated debate following a motion from Lilongwe North East legislature who requested the house to suspend proceedings for the house to deliberate on the privilege of members. 

The motion came following arrests of two Malawi Congress Party officials and legislatures, Peter Chakhwantha and Jessie Kabwila on allegations of treason following a Whitsapp conversation. The parliamentarian said such arrests are bleach of members privileges and feared that this could happen to anyone.

Ruling after house resumed sitting after an hour of house suspension, Speaker Richard Msowoya expressed his concern that there are arrests of MPs yet the house had assured the members of their immunity following reports that on yesterday there was a roadblock mounted by police just outside of the Parliament Building.

He mentioned that just like all members of Parliament are afraid of being targeted, he himself is afraid.

He therefore ruled that until such a time Government will come and assure the Speaker and the Whole House of their immunity, he adjourns the House till Wednesday at 2pm.

The ruling brought an uproar in the house with discontent from Government side and jeering from opposition members.

There were also exchanging of words as the members were leaving the House.

However, Government Leader of Businesses, Francis Kasaila rubbished the ruling saying the speaker as head of an executive arm of Government was in better position to assure the House of members immunity.

Kasaila further said Speaker was also supposed to consult with heads of Government and hot rush to make such a ruling.

He made it clear that there is no any other assurance that Government could make since the matter at hand is to do with Treason which does not give immunity to any member and that police can effect an arrest at any time.