The effects of global economic challenges bites again as the energy regulator, MERA, has adjusted fuel prices beginning midnight following a review of determinants by the Board.
Announcing the new prices ,MERA says prices are will be as follows:
Petrol: K1 999 from 1380 (44.92%) Diesel: K1920 from K1470 (30.61%) Paraffin: K1236 from K956 ((29.29%) LPG: K2 956 from K2500
The MERA CEO, Henry Kachaje says landed costs for all petrolium products have increased by 39.45 for petrol, 21.94 percent for diesel, 13.45 for paraffin and 25.69 for LPG.
He further said the Price Stabilization Fund could not cushion the price increases as there are no savings.
The newly announced prices were expected following the increased landed costs which have surged up largely due to the devaluation of Kwacha by 25 percent.
Civil Society in the country have commended President Dr Lazarus Chakwera for opening more windows towards access to higher education in Malawi.
Addressing State of the Nation in Parliament few months ago Chakwera said he has set priorities to be achieved in education sector where he stressed the need of increasing the enrolment into the university from 36,000 to 45,809, which is no mean achievement in a year of Covid restrictions and increase again targeting the enrollment to hit 48,000 in the 2021/2022 fiscal year.
Coalition for Media and education for development Board member Bright Kampaundi, has also commended the Malawi Leader for the drive.
Bright Kampaundi
“This will ensure access to tertiary education by many student who are left out because of the limited space at our tertiary education facilities . Tertiary education provides to room to mode intellectuals which are very critical for national development.” Said.
Kampaundi said there is need for new infrastructure.
“However I would like to ask the the Tonse adminstration to ensure that the drive to increase access to tertiary education must be married with the construction of new infrastructure in new learning spaces and so too expansion of already existing infrastructure . Further more it’s high time we as well ask the academia to develop courses that responds to the needs of African continued and Malawi is this particular case.”
Kampaundi said ; “Malawi and African as a whole we need to development our human capital and skills that will help to move the continent forward and this can only be down if we develop hone grown academic solutions to make bast use of the resource we have in Malawi and the Africa continent at large.”
CSEC Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe says increasing enrollment is of very important increased enrol in public university is not only strategic but also a progressive step in expanding access to Tertiary education.
“The current enrolment of 32% implies that the majority of students do not have access to university. 32 in every 100 students who qualify for selection into the university get admitted. The current landscape disempowers the youth from living their dreams. We therefore need to expand access both in the medium term as long term. The commitment by the President is precondition for a leading a way for more opportunities for the youth in as far as access to tertiary education is concerned. Education is the bedrock for achieving Malawi 2063.” Said Kondowe.
One of the county’s renowned political commentators Wonderful Mnkhutche has applauded President Lazarus Chakwera for withholding delegated duties to Vice President Saulos Chilima who is alleged to have received money from businessperson Zuneth Sattar.
In an interview with 247 Malawi News, Mkhutche said what President Chakwera has done is right as it is the standard procedure of dealing with such corruption cases in nature.
Mkhutche said Chakwera’s decision will now give Chilima pressure to tell his side of the story.
Wonderful Mkhutche
He said it is now time Malawians start trusting Chakwera in the corruption fight in the country.
” The president has made a right decision and we have no choice but to trust him in the corruption fight just looking at what he has done.
” Corruption effects us all and the president is the one in a better position to help the country deal with it. Experience tells us to be pessimistic, but hope asks us to trust the President, especially how he has decisively handled the issue today,” he said.
Mkhutche added ” we have already seen some people defending their favourite politicians in this issue forgetting that the fight is against corruption, not individuals.
” If we citizens want to do away with corruption in this country, we have to be ready to change our minds on the politicians we once trusted.
He however, urged Chilima to acknowledge and accept the President’s decision and cooperate with the decision.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera Tuesday evening addressed the nation on matters on national interest at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Last month, the President addressed the nation on matters related to a British national, Zunneth Sattar, on allegations that he had been bribing public officers in exchange for Government contracts.
Chakwera gave the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) 21 days to give a report that would inform Malawians of the full extent of the matter whose period elapsed Tuesday, June 21
.
The President has since suspended Chief of Staff at State Residences, Prince Kapondamgaga, to pave way for investigations, has fired Inspector General of Police, George Kainja.
Vice President, Saulos Chilima, has his delegated powers withheld until the ACB substantiates its allegations against him and decides on its course of action.
President Chakwera
President Lazarus Chakwera’s address on the Zuneth Sattar investigation focused on these key areas
The President has said he is withdrawing all delegated responsibilities from the Vice President Saulos Chilima, suspended his Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga and fired the head of the Police Service George Kainja.
In a five year period between 2017 and 2021, five companies belonging to Sattar were given 16 contracts worth 150 million US dollars.
Most of the contracts flouted procurement laws and were grossly overpriced, the President added.
The ACB has conducted investigations into 13 individuals including the Vice President which revealed they had conducted themselves corruptly.
A total of 53 public officials including from the military, judiciary, police, Ministry of Justice, Office of President and Cabinet, Vice President’s office, PPDA, and 31 private citizens including journalists and civil society received money from Sattar during the period of investigation.
No sitting minister has been implicated.
The ACB advised the President not to make the report public. The President unhappy with ACB boss for sharing report with the Chief Justice and Speaker of parliament.
Nyasa Big Bullets Football Club has announced that it is suspending its accountant Jeremiah Mwagomba over his alleged involvement in gate management fraud.
Through a telephone conversation, Mwagomba is said to have instructed gate managers during Saturday home match against Mighty Tigers at the Kamuzu Stadium to give him money reportedly around K750 000.
According to Bullets CEO, Sugzo Nyirenda, this comes as the team received a report from a gate management film that Mwagomba instructed gate managers to under-declare funds from the gates.
According to Nyirenda, the club has now alerted law enforcing agencies on the matter and insists the club will ensure due prudence in management of gate revenues.
He also says the club will be undertaking further internal and external investigations into the matter.
