Speaker of the National Assembly Henry Chimunthu Banda confirmed that debate on the extra budget would be curtailed today before the legislators start debate on some bills.

Finance Minister Ken Kandodo last Tuesday presented to parliament the K6.5 billion extra national budget, which, among other things, has about K950 million for African Union activities.

President Bingu wa Mutharika was last Sunday unanimously elected chairperson of the African Union, a 53-strong member pan African grouping whose main agenda is to bring peace and development to Africa.

Kandodo explained that Malawi will be hosting African Union finance and planning ministers meeting in March in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa and the AU and said an additional K450 million has therefore been provided to the Ministry of Finance for the meeting.

“A further K500 million has been earmarked to support activities of His Excellency the State President in his position as current chairman of the African Union. This budget will also enable Malawi host AU ministerial meetings during the first half of the calendar,” said Kandodo, presenting the first mid year review for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in four years.

On the bills, according to the Malawi gazette supplement dated January 29, 2010, the MPs are expected to debate and probably pass into law an Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2010 which seeks to amend the Electoral Commission Act in order to prescribe the number of wards that the commission may determine for purposes of local government elections.

Minister of Local Government Goodall Gondwe said wards would now be reduced from 861 to 463 and now there would be two wards per every constituency and that members of parliament would have voting powers at assemblies and allowances for councilors will increase from the current K1, 000 t between K10, 000 to K20, 000.

The MPs are also this week expected to debate on Credit Reference Bureau Bill, 2010 which seeks to provide a framework for a regulated and reliable system of credit information sharing, which would give banks more confidence to lend to businesses, in particular to the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.

In the extra budget, govt. wants to spend an extra K1.8 billion to meet higher than expected interest on domestic debt incurred in the previous year when donor money was stopped and government had to rely on domestic borrowing for services.

The finance minister further said the government intends to spend another K1. 8 billion on National AIDS Commission activities.
He said the government would also need another K350 million to assist earthquake and other victims in Karonga and other areas.

The minister also said the government would be spending K650 million for fixtures and fittings, furnishings and landscaping for the new parliament which opens in May at the City Centre, the heart of the Capital City in Lilongwe.

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