National News

Forum consults on MPs K4bn funding

 

Forum for National Development (FND) has embarked on national electorate consultations to solicit views from 193 constituencies that are meant to benefit from the K4 billion parliamentary allocation.

Last week, the initiative gave a platform to about 20 chiefs in Salima North Constituency to air out their views on the money, with the chiefs saying the funding is necessary for development but that government should channel it through district councils.

On Thursday, FND began the exercise in Salima North constituency whose member of Parliament (MP) is Malawi Congress Party (MCP)’s Yona Kaphamtengo.

Kampaundi: We will consult nationwide

In an interview with The Nation, FND chairperson Bright Kampaundi said FND decided to get voices from the electorate, considering that there are mixed reactions on the K4 billion constituency funding from government, opposition parties and civil society organisations (CSOs).

He said: “We came to appreciate citizens’ views on the K4 billion payout so that we learn whether they feel the funding is necessary.”

During the consultations at Chiluwa 1 Primary School in Traditional Authority Mwazama’s area, about 20 group village heads attended the discussion.

In his remarks, village head Kaluso said government should disburse the funds because there are some development initiatives such as school blocks which need to be completed at Chiluwa 1 Primary School.

Salima’s Youth Movement for Political Justice and Development (YMPD) director Beggerson Mayenje said some developments in the district were abandoned some years ago; hence, the need to have the K20 million funding to enable their completion.

He said: “We expected the money to continue facilitating development in various constituencies. There have been complaints that the Local Development Fund is very minimal, unfortunately, some MPs rejected the money which can help finish the abandoned projects.”

Other chiefs complained that Salima North legislator Yona Kaphamtengo halted the project because he does not have money to finish it.

When contacted for his comment yesterday, Kaphamtengo denied the assertion, saying the project began in June last year and it is being constructed in phases because Local Development Funds (LDFs) are distributed quarterly.

Kampaundi said the Forum will share consultation results with legislators before Parliament meets again to discuss the 2018/2019 budget.

MCP legislators nodded to the minister to distribute the money across the board, but they later decided not to be part of the beneficiaries, saying the distribution process had some corrupt connotations in the first place.

CSOs, led by Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo and Charles Kajoloweka are planning to hold mass demonstrations nationwide to force Finance Minister to resign.

FND plans to conduct similar consultations in select constituencies in the Southern, Central and Northern regions.

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