Analyst in the country have blasted the decision by President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to travel to the United Nations General Assembly with over 111 delegates, saying this is a disgrace to the country’s economy.
Analysts have further accused President Mutharika of not learning from previous leaders’ mistake.
Speaking in an interview with the Press, Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) Executive Director Dalitso Kubalatsa questioned the motive behind the trip.
“In this era of not doing business as usual and in this reforms era, we need a break down of each of those going to the UN and what value each of those in the delegation would add,” said Kubalatsa.
Information at hand indicates three-quarters of the people who have travelled to US are Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) royalist who have nothing to do with the trip.
According to reports published by Zodiak online, the delegation would be spending K238 million on accommodations alone.
“On airfare alone, Malawi will be spending K144m. On accommodation, our quick online research shows the cheapest hotel room in New York would cost around US$ 250/night, roughly K 150 thousand. This translates to around K17m per day for the 111 delegates,” reads the information.
According to the publication, the Malawi government will be a minimum of K352 million on both accommodation and airfare, without including that of allowances.
Effort to talk to Minister of Information Jappie Mhango proved futile on the matter.
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