Maravi

Kazonga justifies conditions for councils to access grants

Kazonga justifies conditions for councils to access grants
By Agness Changala in Siavonga
Wed 03 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

LOCAL government minister Dr Eustarckio Kazonga has advised councils not to view conditions attached to accessing grants as a punishment, but as a process of strengthening their ability to perform effectively.

Officiating at the Local Government Grant System (LGGS) consultative workshop with the media and NGOs in Siavonga on Monday, Dr Kazonga advised councils to critically look at the legal and regulatory framework and begin making amends where there were not in conformity with legal requirements so that they are responsive to the conditions that would enable them access grants.

“The conditions of access should not be viewed as punishment to councils that may not qualify, but should be seen as a process leading to strengthening council’s ability to perform effectively,” he said.

Dr Kazonga said the manual that provided guidelines for access to grants had been developed and failure to meet the minimum conditions may lead to withholding disbursement to the affected councils pending remedial action.

Dr Kazonga said the government had also restructured the LGGS by consolidating a myriad of grants as contained in the local government Act Cap 281 of the Laws of Zambia into three main grants.

“The objective of restructuring the grant is to ensure greater autonomy in the management and utilisation of financial resources by democratic institutions (councils),” Dr Kazonga said.

In addition to restructuring grants, Dr Kazonga said the government had introduced a formula based grants conditioned by performance.

Dr Kazonga said the restructured grant system needed supportive sub systems for it to be beneficial to the overall decentralisation reform programme.

Labels: EUSTARKIO KAZONGA, GRANTS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT

posted by MrK @ 7:12 PM