The Zomba City Council has revealed that its proposed budget for the 2026/27 financial year, aimed at implementing development, education, and environmental initiatives, totals K13.8 billion.
Zomba City Council’s Director of Finance, James Mafunga, made this disclosure during a scheduled Budget Consultation meeting aimed at briefing city residents on the budget.
Mafunga said that of the total amount, K10.5 billion will come from the central government through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), while K3.2 billion is expected to be raised by the council through city levies, revenue collection, and other sources.
He added that K378 million will be allocated to education, K7.2 million to youth programs, K6.8 million to public works, and K4.4 million to environmental activities.
Mafunga also said that following the government’s directive that education should be free, an amount of K80 million has been set aside for all schools that previously required students to pay school fees, so that the schools can use the money for their operations.
However, the Director of Finance complained that Zomba City Council fails to collect enough revenue because some people evade paying taxes and city levies.
Mafunga thanked everyone who took part in the budget consultation and said he believes that meetings like this help to change people’s attitudes.
“Meetings like these enable a clearer grasp of Zomba City Council’s challenges, and we are optimistic that collecting the K3.2 billion will bring notable improvements,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of city residents, Clement Chilima said such meetings are very important and called for them to be held more frequently because they give people an opportunity to contribute their views.
Chilima emphasized the importance of incorporating sufficient funds for environmental protection, such as the restoration of the Zomba Mountain forest, into the Council’s budget planning process.
The meeting brought together various groups, including business people, the police, the prison service, senior government officials, ward representatives, and many others.
