Members of Malawi’s parliamentary oversight committees have been urged to apply skills gained in performance and lifestyle auditing to strengthen scrutiny of public funds, following a three-day workshop in Lilongwe.
The training, organised by the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) in partnership with The Global Fund, brought together members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Health Committee, auditors, civil society and anti-corruption bodies.
It focused on improving legislative oversight, particularly in assessing whether public spending delivers value for money.
PAC Vice-Chairperson Tulinje Muluzi said legislators had gained a clearer understanding of performance auditing.
“We have learned that performance audit is not merely about financial compliance, but about value for money,” he said.
He said the training was interactive and revealed gaps in oversight systems.
“We must be honest with ourselves and with the public we serve,” he said, citing delays in scrutiny and weak follow-up systems.
He added that Parliament would strengthen cooperation with the Office of the Auditor General.
Health Committee Vice-Chairperson Maureen Nseula Chirwa said the training had improved MPs’ ability to examine health spending.
“As Health Committee we are geared so that no public funds should go to waste,” she said, adding that procurement reforms such as electronic systems could improve transparency and reduce theft.
AFROPAC consultant Pritom Phukan said the programme aimed to strengthen how MPs interrogate audit reports.
He said Malawi’s PAC had performed relatively well internationally but lacked enforcement powers.
“The PAC and the Auditor General can only assure and recommend. They do not have judicial powers,” he said.
He also said lifestyle auditing had been introduced as a tool to detect possible corruption by comparing income and lifestyle.
AFROPAC project officer Ongaya Mulobi said the training brought together key accountability institutions.
“All these key stakeholders play a key role in the ecosystem of accountability,” she said.
She said AFROPAC would carry out a follow-up assessment in six months to measure application of the training.
The workshop comes amid continued concerns over accountability in public spending, particularly in the health sector, where procurement and management of medicines remain under scrutiny.
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