National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) met with the National Assembly Adhoc Parliamentary Committee on the review of operational guidelines for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Water Fund at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC).

Committee Chair Ralph Jooma M.P said the review is focusing on issues stakeholders and members of parliament consider when implementing activities in their constituencies and technicalities at council level hence development of the guidelines. 

Jooma said the consultation had come after a similar exercise with the Ministry of Finance. He said it is important that all stakeholders are on the same page in the administering of the fund which had now risen to 40million kwacha per constituency.

The chair agreed that the fund can indeed tackle major projects hence the need for well-tailored and cut and fit guidelines with little or no room for error.

He added that the guidelines should be clear on reporting frames, timelines, supervision and roles of members of parliament.

NLGFC’s, Senior Budget Analyst Patricia Banda said that the reviewed guidelines should also on top of inclusion of the bigger projects slot in bursary schemes and review the list of key stakeholders at various steps in the CDF administration.

She also highlighted the need to lobby the Ministry of Finance to ensure that usage of development funding should roll over to the next financial year.

The meeting was attended by the cohort of the specially instituted committee who included the Deputy Chairperson, Honourable Liana Kakhobwe Chapota M.P.

The NLGFC was represented by a team which was led by the Director of Finance Dr. Kondwani Santhe.