Friday, March 29, 2024

Guy Scott calls for the scrapping of Constituency Development Funds

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VICE President, Dr. Guy Scott, addresses a rally at Vubwi Boma on Tuesday to drum up support for PF candidate, Margaret Miti in a Vubwi by-election slated for Thursday next week
VICE President, Dr. Guy Scott, addresses a rally at Vubwi Boma on Tuesday to drum up support for PF candidate, Margaret Miti in a Vubwi by-election slated for Thursday next week

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says Constituency Development Funds (CDF) should be scrapped and channelled to service delivery at local authorities.

Dr Scott said in its current state, CDF is not used effectively because the needs of constituencies differ.

“For me, I feel it would make more sense if CDF could be cancelled and the money diverted to service delivery,” said Dr Scott.

He said some constituencies use CDF to buy footballs while others want to implement development projects.

The Vice-President said local authorities would effectively use CDF for service delivery.
He was speaking on Monday during a Press Freedom Committee of The Post public discussion dubbed: “Three Years of the PF in Government.”

Dr Scott also said it is possible for Zambians to amend the constitution within a month but that some individuals are insincere.

“As PF government, we want a constitution that would stand the test of time and not one meant for elections only.

“It is not the whole constitution which is defective but if Zambians were to reach consensus and send the needy parts of the constitution to Parliament, enactment can take a few weeks,” Dr Scott said.

He said the constitution-making process is not undermined and that it is not correct for some people to suggest that all sections in the current constitution are bad.

And Dr Scott has called for the generation of more research papers on nutrition.

He said this in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of a collection of papers on undernutrition in Zambia by Department for International Development (DFID)-Zambia and the Institute of Development Studies of United Kingdom.

“There is need to expand social cash transfer because this would affect the nutrition in the country,” he said.

DFID head of Zambia office Bruce Lawson said there are promising developments and unprecedented opportunity to improve nutrition in Zambia.

14 COMMENTS

  1. Iwe Muzungu Opuusa its not for you to tell Zambians what they want in their constitution. Zambian have already spoken, and they want the new draft constitution to be adapted in its current form.

    • Iwe ndiwe Wanzelu chikopo. I have never seen a person so stupid like Walibenzelu. All you spew out is rubbish all in a quest to try and take your tribesman to plot 1.

    • No one has ever said the whole constitution was junk. Unfortunately, its late in the day to start changing goal posts. When the exercise was started, the PF government was in agreement with the final product of the process. Now that we have the product, how come its only now that the government has noticed that after all this wasn’t what they wanted. This after spending billions of Kwacha on the exercise. Gross incompetence!

    • I wouldn’t comment on anything this man says, but he may have a point here with regards to CDF, The fund is likely to be more accountable and applied appropriately by local authorities ie City/Municipal Council level

  2. The Vice President is correct.CDF is flawed both on its administration and accounting

    First assets being bought and administered are of asset nature long-term with amortisation and depreciation for the foreseeable Constituencies in their current set up do not have accounting systems and books of accounts to maintain and show in perpetuity maybe only local Gov. councils

    Secondly when resource and application of funds is not to best standards to support transparency accountability and effectiveness You need to assets bought commensurate to useful life Sometimes spending isolated sums to a CDF is not economical

    CDF should be left to councils with proper systems in spending and resource management

    • For the first time,Scott is speaking my language!!…CDF is a flop and it must go!!…transfer those funds to the local councils,they cn use it better.

  3. There is no maximasation of share holder value ,CDF is a flawed thinking That threatens Our Economic Future as it promoting un coordinated projects without recourse to planning authorities and assessed and confirmed machinery to procure as to their technical fit No specification or standards

    Often times top up and not bottom up as I saw in three councils I observed Graders,Damp trucks and other capital items are best left to councils with proper systems to consult understand run nature and account

  4. Where did CDF come from? It came from the project by the MMD to loot the estate of the state. For 2 consecutive years, it was paid directly into the pockets of its MPs. After deducting the MP’s needs, the change was shared by other constituency officails and for host drinking parties for its cadres! Hence the notion that MPs benefit from CDFs.
    I agree with the VP that it should be scrapped because constituencies have no capacity to utilise the funds for development projects. Implementation of projects should remain an executive function. The executive has engineers, planners and assets for implementation.

  5. Politics in development with systems in place and standards I have seen and admired certain countries and locations

    All bridges roads paving’s and tarmacs design of infrastructures same very coordinated and well laid including council trucks and safety work attire for council employees in all towns and locations

    Cities and locations well planned out through terrain rugged and hilly Setting up proper decentralisation systems that work long term and in uniformity with consistence is the solution

    Then with participation of planning authorities not clusters of CDF fitting in national plans building a city well coordinated like New York with little slams or cases of unco-ordinated national planning…

  6. CDF= MP’S extra personal and bribe allowance . There needs to be more scrutiny and accountability for how CDF is used by ministers. There is a legion of corrupt ministers (Shakanonsense and CO) pocketing the CDF funds for their own use (prostitutes,bribes etc). MP’s need to keep accurate accounting and need to be able to state and justify all expenditure using CDF funds.

  7. There is no ”Co-operate”‘ ‘ Governance in CDF and the minister or councillors are supposed to be exercising oversight in a board managerial role leaving operations to the councils to handle and manage and then a budget implementation at grass roots level feeding into the councils from residents all the way up to National local Gov. Plans for cities The spend

    There must be a rethink on how cities are managed being funded and planned making use of available institutions in the local Government.

    I know of a city that with authority to work like central Gov. very effective and running like a business entity

    The model is quiet impressive to learn and follow with adjustments to tailor to…

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