Govt under fire over fuel procurement bill

President Lazarus Chakwera administration is facing criticism from opposition parties over the Liquid Fuels and Gas (Production and Supply) Amendment Bill.

The bill, which is expected to operationalise President Lazarus Chakwera’s directive to transition from an open tender system to a government-to-government procurement system, has been accused of flouting the country’s Public Finance Management (PFM) laws.

In Parliament today, lawmakers debated the bill, with some expressing concerns over its provisions.

Bright Msaka, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was among those who contributed to the debate.

“The government is creating a crisis to pass laws that will place them above the law,” Msaka said.

“This will place the Minister above the law and create room for public officers to steal.”

Esther Jolobala, a parliamentarian from the United Democratic Front (UDF), also contributed to the debate, pointing out that the real problem is the lack of forex in the country.

“The problem in Malawi is not a lack of legislation,” Jolobala said.

“Even if we have additional legislation, how are we going to pay the other governments if we don’t have forex.”

The criticism comes as the government is pushing to have the bill passed into law.

The bill has been met with resistance from opposition parties, who argue that it will give too much power to the Minister and create opportunities for corruption.

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