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Decentralisation proves successful in implementation of LDF projects

A water supply under construction
A water supply under construction

Malawi Government said access to quality health facilities and services, skills and quality education in the country can be achieved if decentralisation and sound financial management are strengthened at all levels.

Misheck Jones Fombe, District monitoring and evaluation officer for Mzimba made the remarks Tuesday in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) after touring some school blocks, a health centre, water project, tomato factory, police project, market, bus depot and a telecenter respectively, in the district with the Local Development Fund (LDF).

He said decentralisation had proved to be a successful approach in the implementation of LDF projects through Local Economic Development (LED) projects, but that it requires tight financial management to work better.

“We have noted that decentralisation is working but we would like to see more of it in the dispensation of resources for such projects at district level,” he said.

“It is also important that authorities should focus on financial management capacity at all levels to ensure that resources available are used for the intended purpose to our communities.”

Fombe said with the LDF it is their wish to see more communities across the country accessing quality education and health services among others and that more communities, teachers and health workers were trained.

“Access to education and health services is not just about going into classes of hospitals; it is about getting quality education and quality services,” he said.

He said LDF main goal is to ensure that communities are well trained and well equipped so that we achieve something at the end of the day either financially or skills.”

Of the seven projects the media toured, the water project, health centre market and bus depot are yet to be finished while classroom blocks at Chamaembe primary school, Jenda Community Day Secondary School (CDSS), Jenda police post, tomato factory and a telecentre are almost ready for occupation.

Development communications officer for the LDF Technical Support Team, Ina Thombozi, who coordinates the projects, said in Mzimba had 10 projects namely, construction of police post, telecentre, primary school, tomato processing factory, CDSS, health centre ward, by pass road, water supply, cadastral survey, market and bus depot.

Although there has been progress in the implementation of the LDF projects in the district, Thombozi said poor financial management at some point contributed to the delay in completion of some projects.

Said Thombozi: “There was poor financial management and this led to the delay of some projects but now as the authorities follow up on the issue, we believe that there will be cooperation amongst them.”

Chairperson for Jenda Rural Growth Centre Panson Mithi, who accompanied the touring team, said the LDF projects in the district had impacted positively on all projects and this had helped the communities to rely on themselves.

“We need more of these LDF projects in the district,” said Mithi.

He further said,”we work together with the communities in so doing implementation of these projects would not be a problem.”

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