CDF guidelines outdated - MP

THE Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Guidelines of 2006 which are currently in use are outdated and need urgent revision if the funded micro-community development projects are to be implemented in an efficient and effective manner, Bwana Mkubwa area Member of Parliament (MP) Jonas Chanda has said.

Dr Chanda said Local Government Authorities (Councils) were religiously adhering to the 2006 CDF guidelines which involved too many unnecessary "backand-forth bureaucratic" processes, resulting in delayed planning, implementation and monitoring of CDF-funded community projects.

He called on Government to revise the modalities and administration of CDF by cutting out the red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy.

He further said delays in execution of CDF-funded projects had led to people in constituencies losing confidence in their MPs and councillors who were seen as making false promises which never materialise.

He cited the fact that despite Bwana Mkubwa Constituency having received the full 2017 CDF amount of K1.4 million by November 2017 which has been sitting in the Ndola City Council bank account, no single project had been implemented, which may lead to Ministry of Finance mopping up these funds because another CDF amount was due to be released in the 2018 fiscal year.

"Development projects like construction and renovation of health centres in Kaloko, Katondo, Kantolomba and Mwenye townships, construction of toilets at Kansengu market in Mushili, and Empowerment of Women's and Youth Clubs have all been delayed," bemoaned Dr Chanda.

He said the situation was worsened by an amendment in the Republican Constitution of 2015 which removed Members of Parliament from sitting in the councils, thus excluding them from participating in development matters affecting their own constituencies.

He said that also needed to be corrected when Government brings Constitutional Amendment Bill to Parliament.