Machinga District Council has come under fire for allegedly failing to account for over K40 million meant for World Bank-funded Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme.
In an interview on Monday, Machinga District Health and Environment Committee chairperson Alexander Shoti alleged that the district council incorporated 1 414 ghost workers in the first phase of the programme.
He said: “However, a total of 18 834 beneficiaries were supposed to be engaged for four months and each to receive K28 800 per month. However, a recent council report indicates that only 17 420 were engaged and benefited from January to February.”
Shoti, who is Kawinga Wardcouncillor, said they asked the council to reconstitute a committee during a full council meeting two weeks ago and investigate the missing figure,but the council has failed to provide the needed information.
“We, therefore, plan to engage the Local Government and the Anti-Corruption Bureau on the matter as there is a possibility of the amount will rising to over K160 million if multiplied by four months,” he said.
But Machinga District Council spokesperson Martin Chiwanda denied the allegations, saying all beneficiaries received their money.
“These are serious allegations because the figure of beneficiaries shown in the system is what got paid,” he said.
In March this year, beneficiaries from Senior Chief Liwonde shut the district council office over the delay to pay their money.
Government is implementing the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme in all district councils. Under the programme, participants work for 12 days a month to receive wages and five days as community contribution.
The programme, which rolled out in January this year, is under Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Project and seeks to implement interventions to restore degraded landscapes and improve people’s livelihoods.
