Motion
Mr. Speaker, Sir, and Honourable Members of the House, I beg to move that the Estimates on the Recurrent Account and Development Account for the 2004/05 fiscal year be referred to the Committee of the whole House to consider them by Vote and Head and, thereafter, that they be adopted.
Introduction
Mr. Speaker Sir, before I present the Budget, allow me, in all humility, to express my profound gratitude to His Excellency the State President, Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika, for including me in his team of Ministers. I cannot imagine a higher honour and, like my colleagues, I would like to pledge my loyalty to my country and His Excellency's Government, which is dedicated to the resumption of a faster and sustained economic development of our country. As a public servant throughout my life, I consider this to be the most challenging and noble responsibility I have had to confront. Simultaneous with my sentiments of gratitude to His Excellency, allow me, Mr. Speaker, Sir, to thank his predecessor, Dr. Bakili Muluzi, for having given me an opportunity to re-enter the public service of my country so soon after my retirement from the IMF. With support from colleagues in the Treasury, I learnt a great deal about the mechanics of our economic system.
Mr. Speaker, Sir and Honourable Members, again allow me to pay my tribute to former Ministers of Finance present in this noble House, together with colleagues who served past Governments at senior levels in economic management. Among these, let me recognize the Hon. J.Z.U. Tembo, our first Minister of Finance at independence, and then Hon. Aleke K. Banda, the second one after Hon. Tembo and the first under our democratic system of Government. And there is Honourable Chimango over there who, probably, has been the longest serving Minister of Finance. Let me also pay my respect to Hon. Justin Malewezi who also shouldered the responsibility of Minister of Finance at the same time as he discharged duties of the Vice President of the Republic. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am comforted that among this group of former Ministers of Finance, on this side of the House, are the Right Hon. Cassim Chilumpha, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi and the Hon. Friday Jumbe.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, His Excellency the President has assured me that Honourable Members from both sides of the House are fully aware of my inexperience and will candidly guide me through the difficult task of managing the financial affairs of the country at this critical moment in the economic history of our country. With these words of assurance, I am ready to join you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, and Honourable Members of the House, in tackling this arduous responsibility before us, which I regard to be the cornerstone of our economic programme over the coming five years.
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