Goodall refuses to increase CDF by K12m

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Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe on Thursday shot down demands by Members of Parliament (MPs) to increase Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K18 million to K30 million.

Gondwe instead sanctioned a K2 million increase for the fund.

The minister said CDF cannot be hiked as per calls of the MPs since the funds are most of times abused by the legislators.

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Gondwe : Found the going tough.

He added that he will only approve further increases if regulations for managing the money are revised.

But Dowa East Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Chimwendo Banda insisted the money allocated to CDF should be increased since not all MPs misuse it.

He said that the CDF is the only fund that seems productive in various constituencies in the country.

“So the point is, yes we are not condoning corruption and we are with you honourable minister that we should not condone corruption. If you have people who are abusing CDF take them to task.

“Honourable Minister if there is funding that has helped consistently in our constituencies it is CDF and we have been standing here and thanking you for CDF,” he said.

He added that the CDF should be increased to carter for Malawians’ needs but claimed that the legislators will not accept a K2 million increase.

“Let’s reason if we want it to be increased with K30 Million and you can’t afford, Honourable Minister why can’t you come to K25 Million and that’s it we can’t move down after K25 Million,” he said.

The issue sparked disagreements between the lawmakers and the finance minister leading to adjournment of the House for 30 minutes so that the ministers should confer over demands of the MPs to increase the CDF from MK18 million to MK30 million.

When they returned Gondwe put his foot down that the fund will only be hiked by K2 million.

Meanwhile, the House has passed the MK1.3 trillion Kwacha 2017/18 National Budget.