Malawi plans to use the $15 million it gained from selling its presidential jet to feed the more than 1 million people suffering chronic food shortages, the Treasury said on Thursday.

Malawi angered Western donors, whose aid typically accounted for about 40 percent of the budget, when the government of late President Bingu wan Mutharika bought the 14-passenger Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in 2009.
President Joyce Banda, who took over after Mutharika died of a heart attack in April 2012, made selling the plane a priority as she sought to repair the damage left by the previous president, who picked costly fights with donors that left the economy a shambles.
“The $15 million we got from the sale of the presidential jet will be used to purchase maize locally to help feed the suffering masses and some of it will go towards legume production,” Treasury spokesman Nations Msowoya said.
The $15 million represents over half the money allotted to buy maize until the end of March for the 1.46 million people listed as suffering from food shortages by the U.N.-affiliated Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, Msowoya said.
Britain, Malawi’s main bilateral donor, criticized the plane purchase and reduced its aid budget to Mutharika’s government by 3 million pounds ($4.7 million) because if it.

However, Banda, who faces election next year, has won acclaim in the West for austerity measures and gestures to bolster the economy of the impoverished country.
Banda has cut her salary by 30 percent and pledged to sell off 35 Mercedes Benz cars used by her cabinet.
But moves such as a devaluation of the kwacha currency have stoked inflation, raised the price of food for rural poor and cut into her domestic support.
The sale of the plane to the Virgin Islands company Bohnox Enterprise was announced in May. The luxury jet cost Malawi some $300,000 a year in maintenance and insurance, a government official said.

Source: http://www.informationng.com/?p=124080

That is how it should be done. Meanwhile, somewhere in Nigeria a fisherman spends 1 billion naira a year to feed his family. 800 million naira to buy newspapers for staff. 500 million naira to celebrate resurrection of his wife from burial site. The list is endless..................

payless: That is how it should be done. Meanwhile, somewhere in Nigeria a fisherman spends 1 billion naira a year to feed his family. 800 million naira to buy newspapers for staff. 500 million naira to celebrate resurrection of his wife from burial site. The list is endless..................

You forgot to include the world's most expensive legislature.

Come 2015 i know Gej will auction his shoes . . . In the interest of Nigerians. Just wait and see.

WHEN ARE THEY SELLING OUR OWN 12 PRESDENTIAL JETS IN NIJA

Compassionate Leadership, unlike Nigeria who is cursed with 'gluttonous leaders' who are foolish in the things that count and wise only in all the wrong ways.

ajas baba: WHEN ARE THEY SELLING OUR OWN 12 PRESDENTIAL JETS IN NIJA

Never! As a matter of fact, we have to order more jets. We need more jets for our dear President.

A country that cares about her citizens.
I wish Nigeria Gov't can grab a clue from Malawi,USA.
Nigeria, a country where Gov't officials cares more about the next election than the wellbeing of the electorate. SHM!!!

Standing5: Come 2015 i know Gej will auction his shoes . . . In the interest of Nigerians. Just wait and see.

LMAO...we are waiiting!!..

Standing5: Come 2015 i know Gej will auction his shoes . . . In the interest of Nigerians. Just wait and see.

LMAO...we are waiiting!!..

eGuerrilla:

You forgot to include the world's most expensive legislature.

Dis is †ђξ worst...God help Us

ajas baba: WHEN ARE THEY SELLING OUR OWN 12 PRESDENTIAL JETS IN NIJA

D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ will not sell any, †ђξ question shud be wen are D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ buyin more jets?

Omo that country is finished.. anyways, if they use the money finish, I wouldn't mind buying their president's daugher

Nigeria is taxing the masses to buy more presidential jets. The president, his illiterate sheppopotamus wife and their obese children whose paternity and maternity are still in doubt need at least 31 jets for each of the 31 days of the month. However, South-West governors are using the resources to build bridges, roads, schools, hospitals, e.t.c.

Somewhere in naija one man without shoe is fighting for 2015 election wen ASUU is on strike. The same fisherman pikin signd N600B 4 census. I hope de heard wetin killed d former malawi presido who bought d jet?

This malawian president is just trying to con the malawian people.
One of the basic duty of govt is definitely the reduction of hunger and poverty.
I see no reason why it should be shouted at the roof-top and displayed as a gargatuan achievement.
Smh at the mediocrity of african leaders.

simpleseyi: Nigeria is taxing the masses to buy more presidential jets. The president, his illiterate sheppopotamus wife and their obese children whose paternity and maternity are still in doubt need at least 31 jets for each of the 31 days of the month. However, South-West governors are using the resources to build bridges, roads, schools, hospitals, e.t.c.

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