President Chakwera urges NGOs to hold public officers accountable

President Chakwela and his Vice at  NGO Day  in Lilongwe 

By Kondanani Chilimunthaka

President Lazarus Chakwera has called on NGOs in the country to be credible and strong so as to hold those in public office accountable.

Speaking during the commemoration of NGO Day at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on Thursday, 14th December, 2023, Chakwera urged the Non-Governmental Organizations to ensure that they are accountable for them to easily hold those in public offices accountable as well.

“So as far as I am concerned, a more accountable NGO Sector is good for the creation of a more accountable Government. As a case in point, I have been informed that Government is not properly accounting for foreign currency received through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), resulting in the country losing much-needed forex.

This is unacceptable. I am therefore directing the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Gender to jointly engage NGORA, which regulates the NGO Sector, and the Reserve Bank of Malawi, which regulates the Financial sector, in ensuring that all forex received in the NGO Sector comes through regulated systems” Said the President while emphasizing on the rule of law for country’s progress in development.

President Chakwera further told the nation that as mandated by Malawians, he remains committed to enact laws that ensure order and fairness in every sector including the NGO, saying he can not allow lawlessness to be part of Malawi’s culture in the name of freedom.

Having made history of being the only President in the country to remove laws that criminalized insults against the President, preside over Press Freedom celebrations, enact Access to Information Laws and fund their operationalization, and allow law enforcement agencies to interrogate him while in office as President, Chakwera has reaffirmed his commitment towards working hand in hand with the NGO Sector in the country.