“They rejected my Proposal”, Information Minister Kazako speaks out on Macra Board’s wasteful trip to Dubai

Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako, has revealed that the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) board rejected his proposal to have the Dubai training conducted locally and save money.

This follows President Lazarus Chakwera calls to have the country’s communication regulatory board dissolved over unnecessary spending of funds.

In his speech today at the launch of the second phase of National Backbone Fibre at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe, President Chakwera said he received a report on the matter from Kazako and he was dismayed with the board’s decision.

Chakwera labeled the development as saddening arguing that the board Chairperson of Macra could not find a cost-effective way of enhancing the capacity of the board than taking them to Dubai and blowing millions of kwacha.

Speaking to the media, Kazako concurred with Chakwera while saying that he found the trip expensive and advised the board to think twice but his word was ignored.

“This is well recorded and minuted. If we need to change things in this country we must do things differently. The President has sent a strong message on this” said Kazako.

It is reported that the board spent 46 Million Kwacha by attending training in Dubai.

The news however caused a national uproar with stakeholders, for instance, the Human rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) petitioning the country’s President Chakwera to immediately dissolve the Board at Macra.