Maravi

Treasury reclaims N/Western’s poverty reduction funds

Treasury reclaims N/Western’s poverty reduction funds
By Mulimbi Mulaliki in Solwezi
Saturday November 03, 2007 [03:00]

CATHOLIC Commiss-ion for Justice and Peace (CCJP) Caritas Solwezi Diocese Coordinator Frederick Nabanda has expressed concern over the failure by the North Western Province administration to utilise K5 billion poverty reduction funds. The treasury has since withdrawn the funds. Nabanda said the K5 billion had been lying idle in commercial banks since it was sent to the province early this year after the budget was approved by Parliament .

“This money was supposed to be utilised by strategic ministries like health, agriculture, education to improve social infrastructure as a way of reducing poverty and, unfortunately, up to October this year, not even a ngwee has been spent,” Nabanda said.

Nabanda disclosed that the treasury had since reclaimed the K5 billion because it had not been put to use.

“What is really causing concern is that the province has no capacity to work towards reducing poverty. They have failed to use the money, indicating that there is no poverty in the province which I see clearly but this shows that they have no interest of people,” he said.

Nabanda explained that social infrastructure in the province was in a state of disrepair be it with schools, feeder roads and health centres in rural areas, which were damaged by heavy rains last year.

He said such infrastructure had not been worked on, and wondered as why the provincial administration could not release the money to address the problems.

“I took up the matter with North Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Nkolola Hazemba to register my displeasure and to inquire as to the reason why they could not utilise the K5 billion,” he said.

Nabanda explained that what he discovered was that there was no commitment on the part of civil servants and the tender committee never sat to award tenders.

“Do we expect to get more funding next year as a province for poverty reduction when we have failed to utilise K5 billion? Having failed to use the money clearly indicates that the State can’t give us funds for the same purpose of reducing poverty and if they do they will give us much less (amounts),” he said.

Nabanda urged the incoming permanent secretary Jaston Mulando to liaise with Secretary to the Treasury Evans Chibiliti to send the money back so that it could be used.

“As a leader who is there to ensure that there is social justice, this is clear injustice because people have been denied social infrastructure and I demand that the culprits are brought to book,” Nabanda said.

Labels: CARITAS, CCJP, NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE, PRFs

posted by MrK @ 12:37 PM