ACTIONAID & CPD JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENT OF CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT (CDF)

ACTIONAID & CPD LOBBY FOR DELIMITATION FOR EASE OF CDF ADMINISTRATION

ActionAid Zambia and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) have proposed that constituencies with large geographical landscapes should be split to ensure thorough inclusiveness in social and economic development.
The two organizations appeared before the parliamentary committee on local government and chief’s affairs chaired by Mapatizya Constituency member of parliament (MP) Emeldah Munashabantu.
Actionaid Head of Programs Musonda Kabinga and CPD Executive Director Caroline Katotobwe lead the two organizations in making the joint submission.
In their joint presentations the duo submitted that the CDF Act section 4 (c) must be amended to decentralize power to make the final decision in the spirit of decentralization. The provision of section 12 of the CDF Bill of 2023 which assigns the review and approval of projects to Provincial CDF Committees is a step in the right direction. 
ActionAid and CPD also submitted that currently the CDF guidelines do not permit resources to be re-allocated from one CDF component to the other. Neither do the same guidelines mention where the unutilized CDF resources must be taken by the end of the financial year. The CDF guidelines should be amended to provide for flexibility and specificity in the re-allocation of the unused CDF resources.