Maravi

CEEC’s failure to fund projects will make govt unpopular - Mwinilunga DC

CEEC’s failure to fund projects will make govt unpopular - Mwinilunga DC
By Agness Changala
Sat 31 Oct. 2009, 04:00 CAT

MWINILUNGA district commissioner Webster Samakesa has said that failure by the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) to fund projects in rural areas will make the government unpopular.

In an interview on Wednesday, Samakesa expressed disappointment that despite North-Western Province having 30 projects, CEEC only approved and funded one in March this year.

"I am disappointed that projects in rural areas are not receiving serious attention. Mwakasambila, a honey processing project in my district is the only one that was funded in March this year," he said.

"For others, up to now they have not been funded and efforts to get them funded have proved futile because whenever we get in touch with those charged with such responsibilities, we are told that they are in meetings or out of office."

Samakesa said he was hurt when he learnt that Lusaka Province had 22 projects approved by CEEC as at September 4, 2009.

He said it was unfair that the commission only funded projects along the line of rail because it was not helping people in rural areas.

Samakesa said he had been in constant touch with the two members of parliament in Mwinilunga; Elijah Muchima and Stephen Katuka to try and compel CEEC to fund projects but to no avail.

He said this would encourage rural urban drift as people would want to go where the bread and butter was.

Samakesa further expressed disappointment with CEEC officers who did not visit the area to carry out field appraisals.

He appealed to the commission to consider funding projects in rural areas so that jobs could be crated.
"In rural areas, we don't have much activities, this will be able to bring about job opportunities," he said.

And Samakesa urged the ministry of agriculture to expedite the process of distributing inputs to farmers, saying the current process was fragile.

He said rains in the province had started and that most of the roads were still in a deplorable state.
"When we begin distributing fertiliser during the rainy season, it will be difficult and this may affect production," he said.

Samakesa said at the moment, no modalities had been put in place to try and make the distribution of farming inputs effectively.

He said officers from the ministry were frustrating the government's efforts by causing unnecessary delays even on important programmes like fertilizer support input that meant well for Zambians.

Labels: CEEC, NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE, WEBSTER SAMAKESA

posted by MrK @ 5:40 AM