KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has emphasized the need for councils to effectively use District Development Funds (DDF) and Local Development Funds (LDF) if communities are to get meaningful development.
This among others is to make sure that public resources are fully channeled to the intended purposes with zero misappropriation of funds.
The development comes amid some local councils’ funds abuses reports on DDF and LDF where infrastructure development has be stalled for years without completion in good time.
Since 2015/2016 financial year, councils have been implementing projects of their choices through DDF and LDF including schools, roads, markets, bus deports stadium and rest-houses.
Some of the projects including stadium, rest houses, bus deports and markets are helping the councils to generate maximum revenues for their fiscal muscles of daily running.
Karonga district council is therefore recommended for ably using the funds for developmental projects that is able to generate enough revues from the newly opened stadium, markets and among others.
The visit to some of the developments such as Songwe Boarder market, Karonga stadium this week testifies how councils revenue base collection has been increased.
For instance, one football game of Nyasa Big Bullets against Karonga United fetched over MK8 million while the Songwe boarder markets sources over MK100,000 per day.
“DDF and LDF have helped us to have revenue base collection for our daily operations. This will help us to expand our developmental projects for people’s needs,” lauded, Robert Phiri, Karonga Acting Director of Public Works.
The Local Government Ministry Spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho says so far no reports of funds mismanagement in LDF and DDF implementation projects in the district.
But Mughogho warned of taking to task any officer that might be entangled with misappropriating of funds.
“The ministry is impressed with funds usage in Karonga as we have seen structures that have been built; market, stadium, rest houses which generates revenues for council’s operations. But we will wait the audit report fully for accountability sake,” says Mughogho.
