President Banda officially opened the Budget meeting of Parliament on Friday in Lilongwe where she delivered her second State of Nation Address.

In her address, the Malawi leader claimed to have laid foundation for prosperity and growth and that Malawi is on the road to transformation.

But when the august House reconvened on Monday to officially respond to President Banda’s budgetary speech, DPP leader in the House, George Chaponda said the speech did not give any hope but rather a mere political rhetoric.

Chaponda also advised the government to find tangible solutions to sustain the appreciation of the kwacha instead of rushing to celebrate as it has come about as a result of the usual seasonal tobacco sales currently underway.

“Normally, a budgetary speech from the president is expected to provide a strategy. But what we have received is a catalogue of wishful thinking. For example, the Mudzi Transformation is merely political rhetoric, meant as a campaign tool, and donors will most likely not allow funding such a project.

“There is no hope given in the speech and one wonders if government is justified to claim that during the past year, it has laid foundation for hope, prosperity and growth,” said Chaponda.

On his part, Malawi Congress Party ()MCP) President John Tembo said it was morally wrong and unfair to come up with austerity measures that are not followed by those in government but are loaded on helpless Malawians.

“It is unjustifiable to be asking Malawians to be patient and endure the economic hardships when they see our leaders, day in day out, living as though they are in different country where our hardships are not felt,” said Tembo.

Tembo, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, commend government for tremendous progress registered in restoring good governance and reshaping the country that is “coming from gruesome economic challenges”.