• Government’s agenda is to foster development and revamp the economy in urban and rural communities.
• Increased CDF from K1.6 million to K25.7 Million is meant to take development closer to the people.
• This provides real meaning to administrative decentralization.

Northern Province Permanent Secretary has called for prudent utilization of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in order for government to achieve its economic and social transformative agenda, and actualize it’s objectives of devolution of resources to the districts.
Speaking during the official opening of Audit Committee Sensitization Workshop in Northern Province, Bernard Mpundu said fiscal decentralization is important to strengthen independence of subnational government units, and foster accountability relations towards citizens.
Mr. Mpundu government’s agenda is to foster development and revamp the economy in urban and rural communities, therefore the decision to increase the CDF from K1.6 million to K25.7 Million, is meant to take development closer to the people in all parts of the country.
He further stated that the increase in CDF allocation is meant to support community needs such as bursaries, women and youth empowerment, infrastructure development, promote and support entrepreneurship using women and youth empowerment programs.
“It is also important to underscore and appreciate government effort in ensuring that the economy is revamped in both urban and rural communities by increasing Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million to K25.7 million. This provides real meaning to administrative decentralization which in the past lacked local capacity development and empowerment to the local structures.”
“To achieve this kind of economic and social transformative agenda, it calls for prudent utilisation of public funds, with emphasis on embracing transparency, accountability and equity among others as key principles that should guide the utilisation of public funds,” Mr. Mpundu emphasized.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mpundu said Audit Committees play an important role in the review and evaluation of internal controls, hence Ministry of Finance in Collaboration with Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has organised the workshop to sensitize the audit committee members in the administration and management of audit committee operations.
“I’m reliably informed that the purpose of this workshop is to build capacity in the local audit committees in the local authorities which will contribute in enhancing accountability in resource management and utilisation for the benefit of the citizens.”
“One way of demonstrating this and indeed ensuring a higher quality of services, is through improved governance and performance of public bodies such as Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agencies (MPAS), state owned enterprise or local authority through the establishment of audit committees as enshrined in section 19(1) of the public finance management Act no. 1 of 2018,” he stated.
He stressed the need to make the Act available to all audit committee members and controlling officers.
“It is important for management to ensure that the audit committees are effective and operational in their respective local authorities and it is expected that all the participants take keen interest in the learning and gaining understating of audit committee operations,” Mr. Mpundu added.