Maravi

Parliamentary Committee questions Chilubi council over grants

Parliamentary Committee questions Chilubi council over grants
By Florence Bupe
Sat 15 May 2010, 03:10 CAT

THE Parliamentary Committee on Local Government, Housing and Chiefs Affairs yesterday took to task Chilubi district council for failing to properly manage government grants. Committee chairperson Regina Musokotwane said the council was performing very poorly with a scanty revenue base standing at K6 million against a wage bill of K38 million.

This was after the council secretary, Reagan Kalumba, disclosed that the district was only raking in K6 million to pay the total workforce of 27, as well as deliver other required services.

“You cannot afford to operate in such a manner as a district council. It shows lack of commitment and seriousness to your work,” she said.

Musokotwane warned that the committee would have no choice but to recommend for Chilubi district to be downgraded to a sub- committee if the performance of the council did not improve.

“You need to pull up your socks; so far you’re the second worst performing council after Luwingu. We cannot afford to have a district council with such a huge number of people raking in so little,” she said.
Luwingu District Council has been cited as the worst performing local authority.

But Kalumba explained that the low revenue flow was as a result of depleted fish stocks in the district’s water bodies.

He said the council was reliant on the fishing community for levies as it was the mainstay preoccupation of the population on the island.

“Fish stocks in Chilubi have really depleted and that is why our revenue base has also declined significantly. We are, however, putting measures in place aimed at resuscitating out revenue collection by constructing a rest house,” Kalumba explained.

This revelation, however, caused laughter among committee members as Musokotwane wondered how the council could manage to construct a rest house with K6 million.

It was also learnt that the council was in arrears, as it had not been remitting statutory obligations to the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and the Local Authority Superannuation Fund (LASF).

Musokotwane advised that the district administration should instead sensitise the local community on the importance of observing the annual fish ban and avoiding the use of wrong fishing methods to increase fish stocks, and ultimately raise the council’s revenue collection.

Labels: CHILUBI DISTRICT, REAGAN KALUMBA, REGINA MUSOKOTWANE

posted by MrK @ 5:53 AM