Lumezi council harps on need for proper management of information on CDF

Stakeholders should help local authorities to pass on correct information to community members on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) guidelines, says Lumezi Deputy Council Secretary, George Mulenga.

Mulenga said this was cardinal so as to avoid distortion of facts.

He was speaking  on Friday in Lumezi during a stakeholder’s engagement meeting on the new CDF guidelines.

The engagement meeting follows a directive by Local Government and Rural Development Minister Gary Nkombo in a circular dated December 27, 2022, to all local authorities to engage with stakeholders.

“Stakeholders are critical in the dissemination of information to the public for the benefit of the community,” Mulenga said.

He said once the information was distorted in the manner it was passed on to the public, it created problems hence the need for stakeholders to pass it on correctly to the people.

Mulenga said the district needed to implement the policy direction given in the new CDF guidelines which he has further clarified that it did not mean the ministry was imposing projects on constituencies but giving priority areas to be undertaken in Lumezi district.

Among the stakeholders present were chiefs’ representatives, representatives of NGOs, Chairpersons of Ward Development Committees and other government institution representatives.

Read more: Kanchibiya constituency sets 2023 developmental goals

Meanwhile, Lumezi Town Council Socio-Economic Planner, Tina Chalwe outlined that according to the new CDF guidelines, there was a provision of K1 million towards the purchase of a police motor vehicle.

She also said allocation specifically for the procurement of school desks has been provided which should all be actualized by December this year.

Chalwe, said the local authority will carry out rehabilitation and construction of maternity wings and provision for improved water and sanitation systems in public facilities.

“Other provisions include; an allocation of K1 million for electrification of identified public institutions of critical socio-economic importance both in peri-urban and rural areas, purchase of an ambulance to respond to medical emergencies and K1 million for the construction of a chief’s palace,” she said.