Government has trashed Cabinet assessment report by The Sunday Times owned Times Group Media, saying the paper is being used by opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to turning the imaged of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

On February 28 2016, Sunday Times carried story assessing each Ministry stating with the President titled ‘Struggling cabinet, wobbling economy’.

The paper assessed each and every minister including the president individually on what they have achieved and failed to attain upon assuming the office particularly policies direction coupled with action because they are political heads of their various ministries.

The paper categolized the scores into five and the scores included 1-2 (Do us favour, resign), 2-3 (Pull up your socks, please), 5-6 (Ok, but you can do better), 7-8 (You are a star) and 9-10 (Excellent, you deserve another term).

The assessment revealed that President Mutharika and his cabinet are failing to restore macro-economic fundamentals.

But in a statement released on Sunday aired on MBC radio 1, Minister of Information Jappie Mhango said the assessment is baseless.

“We further sympathise with some quarters of the media for attempting this complex task without being qualified with any proper tools, methodolog and expertise. A point in case is the attempt to assess Cabinet made by Sunday Times on 28 February 2016.

“We seriously doubt if The Sunday Times assessed our distinguished Cabinet members on the yardstick of any established performance targets throughout the past year, or whether the haphazard public responses sought were only whims and sentiments of the moment,” reads in part the statement.

Added Mhango: “However, government hereby categorically states that anyone who wishes to assess Cabinet must always strive for objectivity. A subjective assessment that blindly draws from social media is very dangerous opinion making for the people of Malawi. This tradition can mislead both the government and the people into making wrong decisions.”

The paper rated Vice President Dr.Saulos Chilima as ‘the only star performer’ in the 20-member Cabinet scoring 80 percent (8/10).

President Peter Mutharika scored 50 percent, Bright Msaka of Energy, Natural Resources and Mining (2/10), Foregn Affairs Dr. George Chaponda (2/10) and Information Minister JappieMhango (3/10) and fading and Finance Minister Goodal Gondwe scored a miserable 30 percent.

Minister of Industry and Trade Joseph Mwanamvekha came second to the VP scoring 70 percent while Transport Minister Francis Kusaila and Lands Minister Atupele Muluzi scored 50 percent each.

Minister of Sports and Culture Grace Chiumia scored 3/10, Transport and Public Works Minister Francis Kasaila 5/10, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa 4/10, Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume 5/10, Minister of Home Affairs Jean Kalirani 5/10, Minister of Gender Patricia Kaliati 6/10, Minsiter of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu 3/10, Agriculture Minister Dr Allan Chiyembekeza 4/10, Education Minister Emmanuel Fabiano 4/10 and Minister of Labour, Youth and Manpower Development Henry Mussa 5/10.