Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Karonga Diocese has advised primary schools in the district to utilise school improvement grants (SIG) prudently.
The commission’s project officer Moses Mwakisalu said the grant is taxpayers’ money that requires transparency and accountability for communities to see development changes in their respective schools.
He said this on Tuesday during a meeting CCJP organised in collaboration with Uliwa Primary School Management Committee in Senior Chief Wasambo in the district.
Said Mwakisalu: “School Development Fund and SIG should be utilised properly to benefit learners; hence, the need for school authorities and management committees to manage these funds well.
“We have also encouraged the community to strengthen the monitoring system by forming vibrant public expenditure tracking system.”
On his part, Uliwa Primary School headteacher Grant Botha commended CCJP for the meeting, saying it was an educative engagement that reminded them their roles and the importance of promoting transparency and accountability in the handling of public funds.
“We have learnt a lot from this meeting. Our doors are open to the community to check how we are utilising finances that we get as development funds as well as SIG,” he said.
The school’s management committee chairperson Tambulani Mkandawire bemoaned reduction on the school’s SIG from K990 000 to K750 000, saying it has affected its operations.
“School authorities are trying to utilise the funds well,” he said.
With funding from the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurch Aid, CCJP is implementing Fighting Inequalities Project in traditional authorities Wasambo and Mwakaboko in the district.
