Implement Decentralization Policy, shift focus away from CDF
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Listening to the President makes you have a strong feeling that he verily believes that the Constituency Development Fund(CDF) is totally equivalent to the Decentralization Policy.
He may be reminded that the CDF is a small component in the Decentralization Policy.
But it appears that the President wants the CDF to do all things development and empowerment at local level. He has now made a fresh announcement that District Commissioners will be part of the CDF Committees!🤣🤣
Unfortunately the bottle-necks around CDF and failures to unlock the fund will continue. This is as a result of clear illegal instructions being given designed to overcome legal and purpose provisions of the Act.
CDF Act provides for the management, disbursement, utilisation and accountability of the CDF in the Constituency as established under the Constitution.
It shows what type of projects must be undertaken, modes and structure and also provides how the evaluation amd procurement process will be done.
Outside the CDF, local authorities and districts have their own allocated budget for development.
Clearly, someone needs to give the President the Decentralisation Policy and the CDF Act and its guidelines.
This will help him distill his thoughts and then help him provide clear guidelines and instructions.
Under the circumstances CDF will not be unlocked unless officers will be forced to do illegal things because of the poorly structured manner the President wants it implemented. CDF is regulated by the law!
The CDF Act has provided for the composition of Committees and, purpose, ways and utilization of the fund. Until the law is amended, any expenditure or composition outside the law remains that…illegal!
I strongly feel that Government must place emphasis on implementing the Decentralization Policy that has been met by resistance and inertia over the years.
The objectives of the Decentralization Policy are to; empower local communities, devolve decision-making, functions and resources from the centre to the periphery, to deliver services to the lowest level, promote integrated planning that encourages a bottom-up approach, develop capacities of Councils and communities in development, planning, financing, coordinating and managing the delivery services, build capacity for development and maintenance of infrastructure at local level.
An effective implementation plan for the decentralization policy was developed on how this can be achieved.
