Local govt association applauds increase in 2025 CDF national budget

The Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) has commended government’s decision to increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation in the 2025 National Budget.

Finance Minister, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, announced an increment from K4.8 billion to K5.6 billion, which would see each constituency receiving K36.1 million, up from K30.6 million in the current fiscal year.

Of this amount, K3.3 million was earmarked for feeder road rehabilitation and maintenance.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, LGAZ President Councillor, Vincent Lilanda, praised the move as a major step toward enhancing service delivery at the local level.

“While we celebrate this increase in the CDF, we must also ensure that these funds are managed responsibly.

“Accountability will be key to ensuring the CDF fulfills its purpose of driving grassroots development,” Lilanda stated.

He emphasized that the additional funds would enable the execution of more community-driven projects, better addressing citizens’ needs.

Lilanda also urged local authorities to use the funds prudently, underscoring the importance of this for the decentralization process and improving the livelihoods of Zambians.

He further appealed to the government to ensure all devolved functions were adequately funded, warning that failure to do so could undermine the implementation process.

Lilanda reaffirmed LGAZ’s commitment to supporting the government’s decentralization agenda, stating that local authorities are ready to use the increased CDF allocation for the benefit of their communities.

However, he reiterated the Association’s call for an increase in the Local Government Equalisation Fund (LGEF), which has remained static at K1.45 billion, warning that the current allocation is insufficient given rising input costs.

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