Maravi

Chipata farmers body salutes social auditing

Chipata farmers body salutes social auditing
By Christopher Miti in Chipata and Fredrick Mwansa in Itezhi-te
Mon 09 Apr. 2012, 13:27 CAT

CHIPATA District Farmers Association (CDFA) coordinator Virgil Malambo says the involvement of citizens in the monitoring of public resources is critical. During the launch of CDFA's community social auditing project recently, Malambo said it was important to do social auditing in the communities, especially on projects funded by public resources.

"Social auditing is important so that we look at how the resources funded by public funds are being implemented. As CDFA, we strongly believe that the engagement of the community, the engagement of the citizens is critical when it comes to monitoring of public resources, be it social, be it political, be it economic projects; without the community you cannot do anything," he said.

Malambo said CDFA would always involve the community in its programmes.

"We are all leaders wherever we are coming from, representing the community, and the community is expecting us to do the right thing. So let's do our best as community leaders," he said.

Malambo said the project, which is funded by the Embassy of Finland under the Fund for Local Cooperation, had an overall developmental goal of promoting transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

He said the process of social auditing would address not only issues of transparency and accountability but also enhanced community participation and better service delivery, thereby promoting good governance.

Malambo said the CDFA-Embassy of Finland project initially focuses on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Chipata district commissioner Masautso Banda said the government would work with different stakeholders in promoting transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

Banda commended CDFA for taking a holistic approach to addressing the structural causes of poverty and supplementing government efforts in poverty reduction among the people.

Labels: CHIPATA, TRANSPARANCY

posted by MrK @ 1:31 PM