Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor Dalitso Kabambe says public servants must be held accountable to corruption, as a development to improve the country’s economy.

Kabambe made the remarks at a two-day media training in economic reporting, where he outlined that politicians are used as scapegoats by public servants and public officers, who are overlooked in terms of accountability. “We push the blame on politicians, but the ones selling public land or plots fraudulently, are they politicians?” asked Kabambe.

He also spoke of his experience with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where he worked before he was appointed as RBM Governor. “When I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I found that they had a lot of arrears with garages, airlines, agents, water boards, Escom and even staff allowances”

Kabambe’s remarks follow a 2019 Annual Economic Report compiled by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development which showed that parastatals underperformed in the 2018/19 financial year that ended on June 30. “Performance of most statutory bodies still remained subdued largely due to unfavourable market and operating environments for various products and services,” reads the report in part.