Minister of Education Agnes NyaLonje has demonstrated her lack of knowledge on forex externalization after claiming that government officials do not spend in United States dollars when they travel because they only use a card.
During a press conference last month ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), NyaLonje claimed that when going on foreign trips for personal or official reasons, travellers do not take out forex because they only make digital payments.
“You do not carry cash which means you do not externalize United States dollars. So that way you do not take out forex from government’s reserves.
“When I travel I only use the card, when I withdraw money, it comes out of the Kwacha account without me carrying any US dollar note,” said NyaLonje, who was addressing the press alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo and Minister of Information Gospel Kazako.
A video clip of NyaLonje’s remarks have been shared widely on social media today.
Social commentator Onjezani Kenani also posted the clip and corrected NyaLonje, saying when a person who is abroad uses their local card to pay for anything, the traveller’s bank sent the required forex and that way forex is externalized.
On Twitter, Journalist Jack McBrams also blasted the minister over her remarks.
“I always thought she was one of the smartest in President @LAZARUSCHAKWERA’s inept cabinet, but the ignorance displayed here by #Malawi’s minister of education Agnes Nyalonje is purely criminal,” said McBrams.
Another Twitter user said: “Is she listening to herself? The level of garbage coming from a whole minister is absolutely amazing! Can someone @MinOfEducation educate this woman about forex transactions?”
NyaLonje was among the ministers who travelled with Chakwera last month to the United States for the UNGA.
A published report revealed that 21,000 United States dollars was being spent on allowances per day for Chakwera’s delegation in the US.
UNGA: Chakwera’s delegation collecting at least US$21,000 per day in allowances
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