Human Rights Advocate, Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives- CDEDI, has taken president Lazarus Chakwera and his vice, Saulos Chilima to task over the rising cost of living and their recent spate of public engagements.
In a statement, the advocate has described as a waste of tax payers’ money the internal trips the president and his vice have conducted this week.
President Chakwera in the past three days conducted a crop inspection tour in the districts of Thyolo, Zomba and Mangochi, whilst vice president Chilima visited a number of district councils to review the implementation of public sector reforms.
But Sylvester Namiwa Executive Director for CDEDI has said is a burden to the country’s collapsing economy.
With this Namiwa has challenged president Chakwera and his vice to come up with deliberate measures to lessen the socioeconomic hardships the citizenry is facing.
“CDEDI is challenging President Chakwera and Vice-President to stop these needless local travels, and stay in the office to devise mechanisms to cushion the masses from the imminent fuel increase that will worsen the suffering of the people due to the global economic turmoil.” reads part of the statement.
Meanwhile, the human rights advocate has recommended that president Chakwera trim his cabinet from 32 to 20 and also, he should have the number of his advisors reduced from 22 to 5 as a cost cutting measure.