Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Rebecca Chimjeka
Published on 2024-03-04 09:01:04
The Ombudsman’s role as a public protector is facing a risk of compromise due to a deficit in its budget of over K850 million, according to a statement from the office. The office has indicated that its ideal operations budget for the 2024-25 financial year is set at K1.6 billion. However, its allocation for Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) in the K5.98 trillion national budget, presented by Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda in Parliament on February 23, is only K749 million.
Ombudsman Grace Malera addressed the cluster of Legal Affairs and Government Assurances committees of Parliament recently, expressing that the office has resorted to seeking assistance from donors to cover the deficit. Malera stated, “We will intensify the mobilization of resources to supplement ORT and cover the budget deficit. We are working on grant proposals to be submitted to the European Union, the British High Commission, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United States Agency for International Development.”
She highlighted that budget deficits, underfunding, and inconsistent disbursement of funds have severely impacted the office in recent years. Malera further appealed to lawmakers to engage relevant authorities to provide more support to her office, emphasizing that it had received no funding in June, September, and November 2023. This financial strain has led to the accumulation of arrears amounting to K86 million, which are expected to be settled by the end of March.
In response, co-chairperson of the cluster committee Albert Mbawala assured that parliamentarians would advocate for additional funds for the Ombudsman’s office. Mbawala stated, “We have taken the issues raised by the Ombudsman seriously. We will ask the Treasury for special arrangements to fund critical institutions like the Ombudsman and other governance entities.”
During her appearance before the cluster committee, Malera disclosed that her office had handled 3,200 individual complaints regarding maladministration acts by public institutions or officials. Out of these, 451 complaints were resolved against a target of 85, marking a 69 percent increase in handled complaints. However, there was a 25 percent decrease in the number of resolved cases due to inadequate resources allocated for addressing complaints.
The Ombudsman also mentioned that 186 complaints had been concluded but were awaiting the implementation of remedial actions by government ministries, departments, and agencies. Additionally, the office conducted inquiries and issued 44 determinations, a significant increase from the previous year when only 11 determinations were made.
As part of the budget process, various government departments and agencies have been engaging with parliamentary committees to discuss their resource utilization and plans for the upcoming financial year. Many of these entities, including the Malawi Electoral Commission and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, have expressed dissatisfaction with their allocated budgets and have requested for an increase.
In conclusion, the Ombudsman’s office faces financial challenges that threaten its ability to fulfill its crucial role as a public protector. With efforts to secure additional funding from donors and support from lawmakers, the office aims to address the budget deficit and continue its mandate of investigating complaints of maladministration and ensuring good governance in Malawi.
Read the original article on The Times
