Government cautions NGO’s

Ministry of Gender Children, Disability and Social Welfare has called on Nongovernmental organizations to comply with government guidelines in order to improve the livelihoods of poor Malawians.

The remark comes at a time when only 25% of registered organizations submitted their annual reports to NGO board of Malawi in 2017 but the projects they implement are not benefiting the poor communities.

Minister responsible Dr Jean Kalirani was speaking in Mangochi during official opening of a two day NGO board accountability conference under the theme; The Role of NGO’s to social protection and water investments.

Speaking to delegates Dr Kalirani said it’s very difficult for the country to work with organizations which are not accountable to the people they are serving.

She cited example of other countries where 96% of NGO’s submits their annual reports while those they fail to comply are punished.

Kalirani further said it’s a very difficult situation with Malawi to punish the 75% NGO defaulters as people will point fingers to the government that it is ill-treating the NGO’s.

But chairperson for Council of Nongovernmental Organization in Malawi CONGOMA, Steve Duwa, said there are a number of reasons why the NGO’s are noncompliance in submitting of reports to the board.

Duwa however said the organizations are ready to comply but there are certain issues which need to be looked into.

He said issues like poor relationship between the board and organizations, and members being taken as threats to government.

Duwa however said NGO’s sometime do not like in the manner they are being treated by the board which contributes anger to the organizations and resulted to increased noncompliance.

Meanwhile chairperson for parliamentary committee on international relations Alex Major said the results they found from the survey the committee carried was very pathetic as the targeted communities are not benefiting from the NGO projects.

Major also cited an example of Mzimba districts where the council received 1.3 billion kwacha from the government in a financial year while the NGO’s contributes 11 billion kwacha but the work on the ground do not improve the lives of communities.

He said there is no value for money for the projects that NGO’s are doing in the district councils of the country.

Major further lament that the money NGO’s receive is not meant to buy expensive cars, used for demonstrations or being used anyhow but to benefit the poor Malawians.

He expressed that parliament is very angry on the way NGO’s are doing in the country hence the need for them to follow the legal framework and be accountable on their work for the projects to be effective.

In her remark NGO board Chairperson Abigail Dzimadzi said the third conference is aimed at ensuring that organizations are accountable to their work for the country to develop.

Dzimadzi said organizations need to be accountable on the objectives and the resources in line with the demands of Malawians and the goals of the country.

She stressed that for the country to achieve more development; the NGO’s should cooperate and work together with district councils in the implementation of the projects for the programs to meet desired results.