Diplomats happy with Mutharika

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Augustine Mtendere says Malawi Diplomats are very happy with Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika. Pic by Malawi Digest.

By Lucy Liponda

Malawian diplomats working in foreign missions are reported to be very happy with the administration of His Excellency Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi Digest has learnt.

This was disclosed by Malawi’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Augustine Mtendere in an exclusive interview with Malawi Digest at Parliament buildings in the administrative capital, Lilongwe.

Speaking on the sidelines of this year’s budget session, Mtendere said that the Bingu administration has given tremendous support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in helping to improve the living conditions of Malawian Diplomats working abroad.

“As I am talking now, the Bingu administration has increased Foreign Service Allowance that our diplomats get in our missions abroad and this has impressed most of our foreign workers,” he said.

The deputy minister who is also Member of Parliament for Kasungu North East Constituency also paid tribute the Mutharika administration for taking care of government infrastructure abroad.

“Under the wise and dynamic leadership of His Excellency the State President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, government has also provided funds for maintenance and rehabilitation of diplomatic residences at Missions where the Malawi government owns property,” said the junior minister.

According to Mtendere government has provided funding for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the High Commission and the Malawi Consulate General’s Office in Pretoria and Johannesburg and the Malawi Embassy in Brussels.

The deputy minister also disclosed that the Bingu administration has provided funds for the construction of Chanceries in Addis Ababa and Lusaka, procurement of Chancery in London, procurement of official residence in Washington and the rehabilitation of the Chancery in Washington which was gutted down by fire some three years ago.

“All this has been possible due to improved economic environment which continues to translate into increasing availability of resources,” he said.

He said all this underscores President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika’s government commitment in improving the performance of Malawi’s Diplomatic Missions and Malawi’s image abroad – Malawi Digest.