State house has clarified that construction of houses for members of parliament (MPs) is not placed in the national budget.
In his State of National Address (SONA), delivered on Friday, September 4, marking the opening of the first meeting of the 49th session of Parliament and the 2020/2021 National Budget meeting in Lilongwe, president Lazarus Chakwera told parliament that his administration will construct houses and offices of MPs in all the 193 constituencies a move which brought heated debate in the country.
But addressing the media at the state house on Monday, September 7, in the first presidential weekly update, Director of Communications at State House, Sean Kampondeni, said government will find investors to fund the project.
Kampondeni said: “The President did not say that the project is going to be included in the national budget and use tax payer’s money but rather he is going to actively engage investors to commence this project.”
In his SONA Chakwera revealed plans to construct houses for the MPs to allow them stay close with their electorates.
Chakwera further said in a bid to allow the electorates to easily reach their legislatures, his government will also construct MP offices.
Most MPs, especially from the rural areas, usually abandon their constituencies once voted for the parliamentary seat, to stay in urban areas.
