Members of Parliament (MP) have called for channeling of Local and Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to Area Development Committees (ADCs) unlike district councils.
Lawmaker for Mulanje Bale Constituency Victor Musowa brought the issue in the House as he said the funds have been abused for a long time as they are spent without authorization of the MPs.
“This supposed to be for local development and looking what is happening now it’s now the Council Secretariate that is taking charge of these funds and in other Councils, the funds have been abused and they have been spent without authorisation of MPs,” decried Musowa.
According to Musowa, the legislators should have full control of the funds through the Area Development Committees as one way of ensuring transparency and accountability.
“As MPs, we are looking for an alternative on how we can use this money so that this money is so that this money goes straight ADCs after the MP has signed the development form without passing through the people that have spent this money carelessly,” said Musowa.
Upon presentation of 2020/2021 Budget estimates, Finance Minister Felix Mlusu informed the August House that the allocation to the Constituency Development Fund has been increased from K30 million to K40 million.
According to Mlusu, the lawmakers to exercise prudent financial management in the execution of CDF projects by ensuring increased transparency and accountability.
