FINE TOOTHCOMB ON COVID-19 FUNDS: We Demand Detailed Expenditure Report On K6.2billion

BY IDRISS ALI NASSAH

This morning, following President Chakwera’s address yesterday in which he mentioned that since coming into office,

“my administration released 6.2 billion kwacha for use by the Covid-19 Taskforce in combating the pandemic,”

I filed a request with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) for the following information:

(i) Detailed expenditure report on K60 million used by the Coordination Cluster to facilitate planning meetings and monitoring and evaluation visits countrywide;

(ii) Detailed expenditure report on K535 million used by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs to facilitate screening, testing, feeding, sanitation, security, transportation, and lodging of 19,858 Malawians who have thus far come back home from South Africa;

(iii) Detailed expenditure report on K185 million used by the Public Communication Cluster to raise public awareness about Covid-19 on all media platforms;

(iv) Detailed expenditure report on K580 million used by the Security and Enforcement Cluster for joint border patrols and the enforcement of border preventive measures by the Malawi Police Service, Immigration, Malawi Prison Service, National Intelligence Service, Malawi Revenue Authority, and the Judiciary;

(v) Detailed expenditure report on K72 million used by the Protection and Social Support Cluster to sensitize the public on the increased risks and evils of gender-based violence during the pandemic, as well as to support victims and their families with materials and cash transfers;

(vi) Detailed expenditure report on K100 million used by the Education Cluster to procure protective and disinfection supplies for schools;

(vii) Detailed expenditure report on K50 million used by the Employment and Labour Force Protection Cluster for efforts to monitor and enforce Covid-19 protocols in the workplace;

(viii) Detailed expenditure report on K50 million used by the Shelter and Camp Management Cluster for activities to map the strategic places for establishing isolation centers.*

Once the expenditure reports are received, we shall go through them with a fine toothcomb, with the singular purpose of understanding how, and where, the funds were used.