THE K25.7 MILLION CDF UNDER UPND GOVERNMENT IS THE LOWEST SINCE 1964
By Lazarous Simukoko
The proposed CDF amount (K25.7million) is too little compared to the additional tasks which have come as a result of decentralization.
Due to decentralization, most activities will be done at constituency levels. All general education bursary beneficiaries will depend on K25.7million CDF. Communities will be identifying their priorities, make budgets and undertake the development programs using the same K25.7million CDF.
What they have done is not CDF increment, they have just widened the scope for utilisation of CDF. This means that certain tasks that were previously under the Central Government through the district offices will no longer be performed by them. They will be undertaken by the Local Authorities working with the local communities through the same k25.7million CDF.
For example, primary school classrooms, teachers’ houses, desks, rural clinics, staff houses, local courts, small bridges, clearance of canals, community boreholes, dip tanks and small dams will be funded under the same K25.7million CDF. Constituencies will be budgeting for all these items under the same K25.7million CDF.
Empowerment schemes that were previously funded through relevant ministries such as youth and gender will now be funded under the same K25.7million CDF. Bursaries for secondary schools and skills development will also be administered through the same K25.7million CDF.
Within the same K25.7million CDF are the empowerment schemes. Artists will be receiving empowerments through the same K25.7million CDF. The same K25.7million CDF money will be required to build classrooms, teachers’ houses, clinics and so on. The same K25.7million CDF will be required to repair and maintain public infrastructure and finance the procurement of desks.
The decentralization will not work. The allocated amount (K25.7 million) is too minimal! This is not even equivalent to K30 million empowerment which PF gave to artists as empowerment.