K200m CDF is not enough - Mtonga
K200m CDF is not enough - MtongaBy Lambwe Kachali
Monday September 10, 2007 [04:00]
Kanyama member of parliament Henry Mtonga has said the K200 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is not enough. And Isoka West member parliament Paul Sichamba has called on the government to increase CDF next year if development is to be realised in the country. Commenting on the increase of the CDF announced by local government and housing minister Sylvia Masebo from K60 million last year to K200 million this year, Mtonga said it was disappointing that even countries such as Malawi were surpassing Zambia in terms of CDF.
Mtonga said the government would fail to deliver to people's expectation if it continued releasing meagre funds to constituencies. He said members of parliament depended on such funds to bring development to their constituencies.
“The money is not enough especially that we are seeking integration such as the SADC. Countries like Kenya, Malawi, Ghana and many others are getting not less than a billion for each constituency. We cannot be proud of this increment,” he said.
Mtonga said there was need to push for more funds in the future so that people in the constituencies could see tangible development.
“The problem in this country is that there is no budget procedure Act. Our Constitution is a raped one. If we had this Act in our constitution, Zambians would be deciding the money for CDF,” Mtonga said. “But as it stands now, there is nothing we can do.”
He said there were many problems people were facing in Constituencies that needed to be addressed. Mtonga observed that members of parliament were encountering difficulties as they sometimes used personal income and resources to develop their constituencies.
“If you look at problems in community schools, water, sanitation among others, you will notice that the money is just a drop in the ocean,” said Mtonga.
And Sichamba said it would have been better if CDF was increased to between K500 million and K1 billion.
“Anyway, a bird in your hands is better that none. We shall use the money to our best to ensure that development is felt in our respective constituencies,” he said.
"But to tell the truth, the money is not enough. This increment is nothing but a mockery.”
Parliament has increased CDF from last year’s K60 million to K200 million per constituency this year.
Labels: CDF, HENRY MATONGA
posted by MrK @ 4:32 PM
1 Comments:
This raises two interesting questions:
1) Why is there a need for a 'constituency development fund' when there are local councils?
2) In my plan, each (30,000 person) councils would receive $1.5 million - a lot more than even the $250,000 they are looking for. Of course, the councils would have to take on more tasks, but still, there would be money left to allocate for local issues. Plus in my plan, councils could still levy a small tax (5%) in special situations.
Why leave development up to MPs - don't they already have a job, representing their constituencies in parliament and sitting on committees?
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