Juliet wants more
MP says CDF is no slush fund, amount should be increased
GOvernment member of Parliament (mp) for St Andrew West rural Juliet Cuthbert-flynn has defended the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), dismissing what she says have been attempts to peg it as a bribery pool by politicians to snare voters.
In fact, Cuthbert-flynn wants the allocation of $22 million per parliamentarian increased to allow for more aid for housing.
“The CDF is not a slush fund as some journalists purport from time to time. We are making a difference. We are serving our constituents,” Cuthbert-flynn, who was making her contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate at Gordon House in downtown Kingston, told parliamentarians yesterday.
According to Cuthbert-flynn, who said the fund has been a “great source of help”, significant aid has been received by students at the tertiary level in her case.
“Over the past four years my office has assisted over 240 students back to college. This year I have a record of 92 students who were assisted with tertiary grants from my CDF. Just last Friday a graduate called me to say ‘Miss Juliet, I am now a graduate of The University of the West Indies with second class honours in nursing and I want to thank you for the assistance over the years,’ ” Cuthbert-flynn said.
Arguing for an increase in the allocation, CuthbertFlynn said: “No two constituencies are alike, and another of my greatest challenge is housing assistance. I receive over 1,500 requests a year and the funding can only assist about 200 persons. I’m asking for a review of the allocation and for the consideration of affordable housing solutions to be established in West Rural St Andrew,” the MP stated.
The CDF, when introduced in 2008, saw $40 million being allocated per constituency. That allotment was, however, later reduced to $20 million a year, only to be further reduced to $15 million in 2010. It remained at that level until 2016 when it was restored to $20 million. Last year it was bumped up from $20 million to $22 million per parliamentarian to allow them to make interventions related to the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in their constituencies.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, making the announcement in his budget presentation in the House of Representatives at that time, stressed that the additional funds are to be used exclusively for COVID-19 interventions.