By Mercy Matonga:
UTM president and presidential candidate for the upcoming elections scheduled for September, Dalitso Kabambe, has criticised the government for allegedly failing to address the country’s economic challenges.
Kabambe argues that prudent and sound financial management is needed to resolve the issues.
He has proposed austerity measures, including reducing embassy staff and cutting back on regular travel, as some of the immediate solutions to the economic problems.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe Monday, organised by the party, Kabambe pointed out difficulties faced by Malawians and outlined how his administration would address them if elected in September.
“The challenges this country is facing do not require scaling mountains or organising national prayers. The country’s leadership should reduce frequent travel and the government must stop taking excessive loans, which are often misused,” he said.
He further suggested that the government reduce the number of employees in embassies and at State House, apparently because excessive staffing contributes to financial inefficiencies.
According to Kabambe, if UTM assumes office, the party will transform the economy within nine months.
“The rising prices of fertiliser and the decline in the number of beneficiaries under the Affordable Inputs Programme are among the key reasons the country’s economy is struggling.
“The food crisis has been exacerbated by the high cost of agricultural inputs, leaving many people unemployed and without a means of livelihood,” Kabambe said.
He also blamed the current leadership for the economic crisis, accusing them of lacking the knowledge required to resolve the situation while focusing more on political campaigning.
Commenting on political promises to The Daily Times recently, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency, Willy Kambwandira, said that it is unfortunate that Malawi does not have a legal framework to hold leaders accountable when they fail to fulfil campaign promises.
“It is high time we subjected both politicians and political parties to scrutiny regarding their performance and unfulfilled campaign promises,” Kambwandira said.
In recent responses to accusations that the current administration is mismanaging the economy, authorities have continued to insist that they are doing everything they can to get it back on track.
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