Rumphi West Member of Parliament, Yona Adadawiza, on Tuesday demanded an explanation from the Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture regarding disparities in the costing of council projects.
In his supplementary question, Adadawiza highlighted the significant price differences for similar projects across councils, raising suspicions among Malawians about irregularities in the procurement process.
He noted that the construction of a school block in Rumphi, funded under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), cost the council less than K30 million, while a similar project under the Government to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) initiative was priced at over K150 million.
“We are very surprised by this development and believe that something suspicious is happening during the implementation of these projects,” said Adadawiza.
He demanded that the government explain these discrepancies, specifically in the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) or project costing under the Ministry of Local Government.
Adadawiza’s concerns followed a question from Thyolo Central MP, Ben Phiri, under Standing Order 69, regarding delays in the disbursement of GESD funds to councils.
In response, Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, assured Parliament that he would personally visit the school block in Rumphi next week to assess the situation before taking any action. Banda also informed MPs that the government had initiated an audit across all councils to prevent the misuse of funds.
Adadawiza, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the response and pledged to consult the people who had tasked him with raising the issue.
The government has announced that the World Bank will release GESD funds to all 28 councils by next month.
