CHAOTIC FUNDING BEHIND DELAYS

CHAOTIC funding has led to delays in the completion of various projects in Muchinga Province, says Provincial Minister, Malozo Sichone.

Mr Sichone said despite the release of K1.8 billion by the Ministry of Finance last year for projects countrywide, getting the funds has been a challenge due to diverse priorities among some ministries

He said the implementation of projects in Zambia was centralised and significantly contributed to the delays in completing projects in the province.

“If the people at the centre do not remember that they have an obligation to support Muchinga Province, then we do not receive any support from the relevant ministries.

“The cause of delayed projects in Muchinga Province has been due to different priorities set by certain ministries, we can’t say its resources because the Ministry of Finance last year released about K1.8 billion for projects,” he said.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Sichone explained that if the province had been given K100, 000 out of the K1.8 billion, President Lungu would have found a number of projects completed, adding that it was just a matter of different priorities that were set by the centre.

“As long as you are not in control of projects you are not in control of finances, you are not in control of monitoring and evaluation systems in regions then you have to wait for a director to travel from Lusaka to come and implement or inspect projects in the region,” Mr Sichone said.

The minister also expressed happiness that he was part of the Task Force constituted to check on projects that had not been completed in the province.

“We have to wait for someone in Lusaka to procure pit latrines for certain institutions and then send a contractor on the ground.

“We also have equipment that can sink boreholes, we have the expertise and we have graduates who are water engineers but all this has to wait for someone from Lusaka,” he said.

Mr Sichone said his administration mandated to work around the clock to ensure that the resources that would be channeled to the different parts of the provinces for different projects would be used wisely not disappoint the President who was the pioneer of decentralisation.