Group urges journalists to scrutinize public finance management
The half-day session, held at Grand Palace Hotel, aimed to help Nyika Media Club members better understand parliamentary proceedings and budget tracking.
MZUZU, Malawi— The Center for Social Accountability and Transparency is encouraging journalists to dig deeper into how the government spends its budget, writes Victor Musongole.
During a workshop Friday, CSAT Citizen Engagement Manager Moffat Mpweya Phiri said reporters should go beyond event-based stories to expose gaps in public finance management.
"There's a need for journalists to be capable of reporting parliamentary proceedings so that citizens are informed," Phiri said.
"The session has highlighted barriers and how to deal with them using the Access to Information law."
The half-day session, held at Grand Palace Hotel, aimed to help Nyika Media Club members better understand parliamentary proceedings and budget tracking.
Nation Publication's Joseph Mwale urged journalists to use the law to hold officials accountable.
"To know how the government spends money, they should check budget documents which state how and where public funds are spent," Mwale said. "These are readily available."
NMC Treasurer Sarah Saulos praised CSAT's efforts.
"We commend CSAT for engaging our members," she said. "We hope to see more parliamentary and public finance management stories from them."
CSAT's engagements are funded by USAID and Democracy International.