Mliswa insists MPs are not cry-babies, they are just underpaid

*Some Members of Parliament are not here; they are busy trying to raise resources so that they can survive.  When you hear that an MP has done something wrong, it is disturbing.  We want to thank these Hon. Members because they restrain themselves.  We could all be involved in deals but we are not doing that.  If a Member of Parliament is reported in the media that he has done something wrong, it denigrates that Member of Parliament.  All these Members of Parliament here are not getting anything and visiting their constituencies and doing all that, they are using their own resources not CDF and that should be appreciated.

I would also want to state Madam Speaker that this document here is quite good but you should understand that there is inflation.  I asked yesterday as to in what currency are we going to be given the outstanding money because our country says one USD is equal to one bond note but what is happening on the ground is the opposite. The prices of commodities are sky-rocketing. Today, I went into town to buy some iron sheets for roofing. Yesterday they were pegged at $11 per sheet and today they are pegged at $24.  This is why I am saying that the value of $50 000 has been reduced to $25 000. If only we had been given this money four months ago, we would have done a lot with it.

The story of Members of Parliament getting their CDF will be all over in the papers but the people out there will not realise that the money is worthless. We want the Government to disburse this money in US dollars and not in RTGS or bond notes which requires one to top up with a certain percentage. The rate of depreciation of the US dollar is far much better compared to bond notes. We want this consideration to be taken on board that this CDF be disbursed in foreign currency.

Hon. Chamisa should expedite his motion on CDF constitution so that  funds are disbursed as soon as possible. I urge all Members of Parliament to abide by the rules, to open bank accounts and set up the required committees because if we do not do that the funds will not be disbursed at all. I thank you.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, you have requested that Parliament issues a statement regarding the welfare of Members of Parliament. We are going to sit down with the Administration of Parliament and prepare a statement which will be presented in the House in due course. We are very much concerned with all that you have said. I thank you.

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