Malawi's Defence and Security Committee Warns Police on Unauthorized Spending

The Defence and Security Committee of Malawi's Parliament has issued a stern warning to the Malawi Police Service (MPS) to cease spending collected funds without prior authorization from the Treasury. This caution follows the revelation that the MPS had expended K7 billion without the necessary approval.

Inspector General Merlyne Yolamu and her officials were summoned to a meeting in Lilongwe, where they were questioned about the unauthorized expenditure. The committee demanded the MPS produce the authorization letter, which had yet to be provided.

The unauthorized spending of public funds by the Malawi Police Service has significant implications for the country's governance and financial management. If left unchecked, it could lead to a lack of accountability and transparency, affecting the trust of citizens in their government in the long run.

Salim Bagus, Chairperson of the Defence and Security Committee, stated, "We asked them to furnish the committee with the authorization letter which was given to them. We have been waiting for that letter and when we saw that the letter was not coming, we invited them to this meeting."

MPS officials claimed they had written to the Treasury seeking authorization but had not received a response. This situation has raised concerns about the efficiency and responsiveness of the Treasury in handling authorization requests from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Willy Kambwandira, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency, condemned the misuse of public funds, stating, "Obviously, this is an abuse of taxpayers' money which must be condemned. Our concern is also about these parliamentary inquiries which appear to be ceremonial with no matching action."

The Public Finance Management Act mandates that the Treasury manage government funds and provide approval for expenditures outside the allocated budgets. The committee has urged the Ministry of Finance to address the challenges MDAs face when accessing their financial allocations through the Integrated Financial Management Information System.

The committee's warning comes amid broader concerns over the misuse of public funds in Malawi. Ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public finances remains a critical issue for the country's governance.

The Defence and Security Committee has made it clear that unauthorized spending of public funds will not be tolerated. The call for timely feedback from the Treasury and addressing systemic challenges is essential to preventing future occurrences of such financial mismanagement.

Key Takeaways

• Malawi Police Service spent K7 billion without Treasury approval.
• Defence and Security Committee demands authorization letter from MPS.
• Unauthorized spending raises concerns about accountability and transparency.
• Treasury's slow response to authorization requests is a systemic issue.
• Committee warns against unauthorized spending, demands timely Treasury feedback.