Chakwera’s foreign trips depleting forex – PAC

President Lazarus Chakwera is facing heavy criticism for failing to save little and hard-earned forex in the country due to his growing appetite for foreign trips.

While the Malawi leader and the First Lady, Monica are leaving the country on Tuesday for Tanzania to attend an African Heads of State summit on Human Capital, observers are of the view that Chakwera should have been delegating his subordinates to some trips of that nature.

Chakwera’s outing comes as the country is facing a lot of socioeconomic challenges including acute shortage of forex that has led to fuel shortages especially in the commercial capital, Blantyre.

With the large entourage accompanying the president and the first lady, there are fears that it will be a drain to the already depleted forex reserves.

The latest to declare their disapproval of this trip is the Public Affairs Committee – PAC through their chairperson Gilford Matonga.

Matonga believes: ’’With the current economic crisis facing the country it is proper for Chakwera to take a break on foreign trips until such a time when the economy of the country stabilizes.”

The faith leader is aware that the quasi-religious grouping has engaged the Head of State on a number of governance issues affecting the country and stresses that such dialogues will continue.

’’We are considering holding an all-inclusive conference with an aim of finding solutions aimed at bailing the country out of this economic mess.’’ Added Matonga.

Speaking during Monday’s Timve Zenizeni programme on Capital FM however, information minister Moses Kunkuyu justified Chakwera’s trips as beneficial to Malawians and not as bad as others are weighing in their views.

Kunkuyu said as a father, Chakwera is doing everything possible to fix the country through sealing a lot of investments deals with every potential country on the global adding that some of the trips have already brought a lot of positive stories to Malawians.